


A New Light: The Beginning

by natsuki5381



Category: Mai-HiME, Mai-Otome
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-01
Updated: 2018-11-12
Packaged: 2019-08-13 22:14:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 39,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16480745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/natsuki5381/pseuds/natsuki5381
Summary: Shizuru and Natsuki have faced many adventures together. Their next challenge? Taking in an orphan girl who hates everything to do with family. What happens when this stubborn child comes in and turns their lives upside down? This is book one of three.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! A New Light: The Beginning is book one of a trilogy and sets up the backstory of how Natsuki and Shizuru meet this new girl before going into the future adventures that await at Garderobe. I hope you enjoy!

Chapter One

" _Train 429 now leaving for Windbloom!_ "

A young, brunette female sat quietly in her seat as she gazed out at the semi-busy station. Although she hated the idea of living at the orphanage, she wasn't very thrilled about being shipped off to a new foster home either. She had already been to five different others since she was born and was not up for a sixth. It only meant more trouble for her.

" _At least it's only for the summer…_ " she thought to herself.

She had known from the beginning that it was only going to be for a short time, but that did not stop her from fighting with Ms. Fumiko, the headmistress of the orphanage. For almost a week the child argued about being sent away, claiming that she had no interest in staying with another stupid family. The monster of a woman, however, did not care. For some bizarre reason, Ms. Fumiko hated her, sometimes even siding with the other female orphans when she got teased. So, the more the girl fought, the more pleasure the owner got out of sending her away. She finally quieted down about the situation when the headmistress smacked it out of her a few times.

" _That's something I won't miss,"_ she grimaced while rubbing her right arm, the area still bruised from yesterday's beating.

Fights were not supposed to happen in the household, but no one really paid attention to that rule when it came to her. Just yesterday, one of her old roommates decided to punch her just for fun, so she fought back. In the end, however, her roommate walked away without a scolding while she got hit by Ms. Fumiko.

Trying to shake the thought from her mind, her baby browns looked down at the paper tag she had been wearing around her neck.

**Aishu Hinamori**

**Age: 10**

**Destination: Windbloom**

**To be picked up by Natsuki Kruger and Shizuru Viola**

Wearing this, she felt like more of a package than an actual human being.

" _Glorious."_

With a slight jolt, the train began to slowly move forward. This would be her first time leaving Aries for a foster home. That there unnerved her slightly, but she shook it off, and with one last look at the city, the train began to pull away.

" _Why do I get the feeling that this isn’t going to end well?"_

The giant knot in Aishu's stomach grew. Unfortunately, new foster homes never turned out okay. In the beginning she always tried to find the positive side to change, but after so many bad experiences, she didn't see a point in doing so anymore. Thinking negatively upon entering a new situation would only make the heartbreak of an ending so much easier to deal with. It was the best way to go about things.

When the train station was out of sight, she let out a small sigh and sat back in her seat. Pulling over a black messenger bag that was beside her, she dug through it and pulled out a letter that was sent from her soon-to-be guardians. Glancing down, she read over the neatly inked words for what was probably the hundredth time.

" ** _Dearest Aishu,_**

**_My name is Shizuru Viola, and my wife, Natsuki Kruger, is beside me as I write_ ** **_this_ ** _. **We're both very glad that you're coming up for the summer. Although we have never had a child stay with us before, I'm sure our time together will be lots of fun. I have a summer home out on the beach, which is where we'll be staying, so a mix of activities and relaxation will be available. We hope to make this a very enjoyable summer for you and look forward to your arrival in two weeks. See you soon.**_

**_Shizuru and Natsuki_** _._ "

After reading, she pulled out the picture that had come with it, the back telling her who was who. Shizuru, a light brunette woman who was wearing a purple dress, stood on the left. Beside her was Natsuki, a dark-haired female wearing a blue jacket and simple black pants. The two of them were standing in what looked like an office. Apparently, from what one of the orphan girls had told her, they were both very famous Otome, Shizuru being what they called the "Graceful Amethyst" while Natsuki was known as the "Ice Silver Crystal." She learned Natsuki was also the principal of a school called Garderobe, which was where Otome were trained.

" _Otome, huh?_ "

Quite honestly, Aishu didn’t know much about Otome at all except from what some of the older girls at the orphanage had told her. They were completely knowledgeable about the subject. Upon hearing that she would be living with two such famous ones, the girls got jealous. She was picked on and bullied for weeks, all of them wondering why she, an outcast, was chosen. Aishu really didn't get it either and dreaded the whole affair.

" _What's so great about Otome anyways?_ "

She didn't quite understand this. Up until a month and a half ago, she had never even seen one in her life.

" _And I kind of wish I hadn't._ "

After placing the items back in her pocket, Aishu leaned her head against the window, her mind travelling back to that infamous day. She had been told that Otome were supposed to be graceful, smart, and strong, but her experience showed otherwise.

" _Oi! You!"_

_Aishu paid no mind to the voice that had entered the room. When she heard that the President of Aries, Yukino Chrysant, and her Otome, Haruka Armitage, were visiting, she had come down from her bedroom out of curiosity. She had never seen an Otome or the president before. However, she was completely disappointed. While Yukino seemed normal, Haruka was loud, sarcastic, and annoying, and Aishu was in no mood to deal with that this morning._

_"Ooooii! Girl in the window, I'm talking to you!"_

_Aishu still made no reply, her eyes focused on the words in front of her. That Otome had followed her in here. She was hoping that ignoring the calls would cause the woman to go away, but Haruka would not give up. Instead, she walked right over to the child and tore the book from her hands."_

_"Can't you hear me calling you?"_

_Now this ticked Aishu off._

_"You idiot!"_

_She hated being disturbed and didn't appreciate this woman barging in on her alone time._

_"What did you just call me?" Haruka asked._

_"Did I stutter?" Aishu asked in turn as she stood up. "I called you an idiot. Couldn't you see I was busy?"_

_"Couldn't you see I was talking to you?"_

_Aishu scowled and reached for her book, but Haruka held it up high so she couldn’t reach it._

_"What is your problem?" Aishu asked angrily. "Give it back!"_

_"I want your attention first!"_

_"Why? You have every other girl out there fawning over your stupid presence. Go talk to one of them and leave me be you old hag."_

_Haruka's left eye twitched at this comment._

_"Old hag? I am not an old hag!"_

_"You look it to me," Aishu said back._

_Haruka was fuming._

_"Don't you know who I am? I could snap you like a twig if I wanted to!"_

_"Oh please, I'm sure that's all talk. I bet I could take you down any time."_

_"Why you rude little-"_

_"Haruka!"_

_Yukino had now joined the room, followed by a few of the other orphans._

_"What's going on?" Yukino asked._

_"Isn't she yours?" Aishu asked in return as she pointed to Haruka. "You should put a leash on her until she learns how to control herself. You should also teach her to leave people alone when they don't want to be bothered."_

That had been when she decided to run to her room. It wasn't her intention to get as snappy as she did, but she had woken up in a particularly bad mood that day after a night of pillows being tossed at her.

" _And even after that, she still didn't get the message,"_ Aishu thought to herself.

She thought she would be left alone after that outburst, but Yukino and Haruka had followed instead. They wasted no time in asking her questions when they found her. Some queries involved her name and age while others were a bit more personal, a few of them prying at her experiences in past homes. A few Aishu had answered, but most she ignored. When they had finished, Yukino simply thanked her and apologized for any trouble caused before leaving. Aishu could have sworn she heard  Haruka mumbling something about guts, but her mind had blocked them out too quickly to remember.

As the train continued on, she could feel her eyelids closing. Why those two had visited that day and questioned her the way they did was beyond her, but at that moment, she was too tired to really think about it. With having little to no sleep the night before, she figured now would be a good time to nap. In her mind, that would just make the trip go by faster. She just wanted to get where she needed to go, get it over with, and leave when the Summer was up. So, with that, she curled up a little more and fell into an uncomfortable sleep.

 


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter 2

"Which gate is she supposed to be arriving at?"

Natsuki stood in the middle of the train station, scanning through the area as her wife, Shizuru, flipped through some paper work she had in her hands.

"Gate 19," the brunette replied once she found the needed information. "Train number 429."

"Gate 19," Natsuki mumbled as the two started walking again. "Gate 19…"

They had just reached Gate 13, so they weren't too far off. It wasn't so much finding it that worried them, but more of getting there on time. Thanks to the crazy late afternoon traffic, they were running a bit behind schedule.

"There it is," Shizuru pointed out, the two of them making their way right on over. She peeked at her watch as they did. "And with five minutes to spare."

When they arrived to where their new foster child would be dropped off, Shizuru calmly sat down on a nearby bench while her other half started pacing back and forth along the green colored tiles. Shizuru couldn't help but giggle at this. Usually Natsuki carried herself in a mildly stern and calm manner, facing any new situation head on, but this was not a school related matter nor an Otome related one either. This was in relation to a single child. A child who would be living with them, and well, for Natsuki…

"Nervous much?"

Natsuki paused mid-step, almost jumping at the sound of Shizuru's voice. She had been lost in her own little world of worries and fear.

"Well of course, aren't you?"

Shizuru shook her head.

"I find it exciting actually. The thought of being able to take in a child with no family makes me happy, even if it's only for a little while. It's a new adventure, and an adventure we were considering anyways, remember? Aren't you just a little excited?"

It was true that the two were considering fostering a child and had been talking about it for the last few months now. She just didn't expect this kind of offer to fall into their hands as quickly as it did.

With a small sigh, she walked over and took a seat beside Shizuru.

"Of course I am," she answered. "I think this is a great idea, even though this offer did come from that Haruka…"

"Ah, yes, it did," Shizuru said back. "She seemed very adamant that we take her in. Haruka said that she liked her spunk and her fighting spirit. A little feisty one she called her, and with a few adjustments, she mentioned she'd also make a very good Otome as well as, you know..."

"Yeah, I do," she replied, her heart thumping a little at the thought of their true intentions. "Still, spunk? Fighting attitude? That's what worries me. Think about it. This is all coming from Haruka! You know how she is with you. What if this is some kind of punishment or something?"

"Punishment?" Shizuru asked with a hint of amusement in her voice. "Why would this be a punishment?"

"If Haruka is the one who suggested this child, one who is all feisty and stuff, what if she's exactly like _her_? What if she's all loud and crazy, too? They didn't give us that much information."

Natsuki rubbed her head.

"Another little Haruka running about. I'm getting a headache just thinking about it."

Shizuru couldn't help but giggle. It was no surprise Natsuki would worry about something like that.

"Though that does sound like something Haruka would do, I don't think that's the case. Yukino was pushing as well, and you know she wouldn't do that to us."

She flipped through the small pile of papers and pulled out a picture.

"Now just look at this," she said, holding the picture up so Natsuki could see. "Does this cute little girl look like she could be another little Haruka?"

Natsuki glanced over at it with another small sigh.

"Maybe you're right. Perhaps I'm over-reacting a bit. You know me. I'm just no good with kids is all. I mean, sure, I deal with them on a daily basis as principal, but never on a personal level. What if she doesn't like me? I have a feeling she won't. She'll probably end up liking you more."

Shizuru tucked the picture away and scooted a little closer, linking her arm around Natsuki's and holding her hand.

"You'll do fine," she told her softly while leaning in to kiss her on the shoulder. "You'll be great with her. She's going to love you."

"You know how I am though," she whispered back, her emerald eyes full of legitimate worry and fear. "I've never been good at showing my emotions or being affectionate with others. In being principal, as well as one of the five columns, I've always had to keep my emotions intact and keep a professional manner around everyone. You're a lot softer than I am when it comes to affection, and much better with kids."

Shizuru unlinked their arms and pulled her into a tight hug. The warmth of her body seemed to comfort the headmistress a bit.

"You've always had a bad habit of over-thinking and over-worrying about situations, you know that? Just remember, this isn't school. You can relax a little. It's vacation, just you, me, and little Aishu. So, just be yourself. It may be a little hard at first because we aren't used to housing a child, but eventually, everything will come naturally. Remember too that you're not doing this alone. We're in this together, so I'll be here to help you out when you need it."

This made Natsuki smile. She curled up a little bit closer to her wife and nuzzled her face into the brunette locks. She knew she could always be herself around Shizuru, just herself, and if she could do it with her, then she could do it with a child.

"You're right," she whispered. "I think we'll be fine. Thank you."

Shizuru pulled away slightly.

"We will be, I'm sure of it. That is, of course, as long as you don't have any of your crazy, stubborn, grumpy moments. You don't want to scare her away."

"Hey!" Natsuki said with a blush. "I don't have those moments. Well, at least not _all_ the time, but still! I don-"

Shizuru cut her off by pulling her in close and placing a gentle kiss on her lips.

"You're right," she said, whispering softly into her ear. "You don't always have those moments. There are times when you're not so grumpy or stubborn at all, times when you're very calm and _very_  submissive."

Shizuru always knew exactly how to entrance Natsuki with a mere whisper of her soft, sweet voice. This was one those moments, the warmth breath against her neck and that honey-like voice of an angel melting her on the spot. These actions got to Natsuki so much that she failed to realize Shizuru's clever hand making its way up her shirt.

"SHI-SHIZURU!"

The woman broke into a fit of giggles and pulled back. Getting Natsuki all worked up was a game that would never get old. Natsuki opened her mouth to say something, but a voice over the intercom cut her off.

" _Train 429 now arriving to Windbloom._ "

"She's here!" Shizuru exclaimed, standing up and pulling Natsuki with her. The two of

them watched as the train pulled in and slowly came to a stop.

"This is it." she whispered, squeezing Natsuki's hand.

Natsuki's stomach was in knots. What if Shizuru was right? What if she did scare her off? She knew Shizuru was only teasing her, but she couldn't shake the thought from her head. Trying hard to do so, she shifted her mind into looking for the girl among the large crowd.

"I don't see her yet," Shizuru said quietly. "I hope she got on the right train. She's only a little girl and she's traveled so far by herself. Then again, if she has that spunk, I'm sure she's fine. Still, oh, wait! Look there!"

Shizuru was already in instant Mother mode with her little worries while Natsuki was still all worked up about being a bad host. How did her wife do it?

Looking over the bustle of people to where Shizuru was pointing, her eyes finally spotted the little girl who matched the picture, the child sporting a short-blue sleeved top and a matching skirt.

"Let's go!" Shizuru said excitedly before pulling Natsuki by her hand and leading her away.

 


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Aishu felt very small as she made her way off the train and through the giant crowd of people. She constantly found herself bumping into others while trying to find an opening. It also didn't help that she was just very small period. In being so short and tiny, anyone could run her over. She was almost afraid she wouldn't be able to escape, but after what seemed like ages, she managed to find a hole.

" _Finally._ "

After finding a clearer area, she dropped her bag down beside her and gave a small yawn and stretch. After spending the entire trip curled up and passed out, it felt good to move her muscles.

After a few moments, she peeked down at her tag.

" _Natsuki. Shizuru._ "

Looking back up, she peered through the crowd, looking for a sign that anyone out there recognized her.

" _Maybe they're running late,_ " she thought when she could find no one. " _Or maybe they forgot. They are famous Otome after all, right? Maybe they got so caught up in things that they forgot about me. Maybe they changed their minds. Maybe, just maybe, I could run away._ "

The thought was very tempting, but where would she go? Did she really want to go off on her own in a place like this?

Knowing the idea was stupid, she continued scanning the crowd, and after a few more minutes of searching, her eyes locked with a set of emerald green ones.

" _Natsuki._ "

Shizuru was beside her, and the moment that their gazes met, they were on their way.

" _And so it begins._ "

Bending down, she picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder, her nerves suddenly growing as the thought of them coming closer sank in.

" _Don't be so nervous,_ " she thought, her eyes still low as she fiddled with her bag strap. " _You've been through similar routines before. This one is no different._ "

Sucking it up, she glanced back over in their direction only to find that they were gone.

"Huh? _"_ Aishu looked around, slightly confused. "I just saw them there a minute ago."

She started scanning the crowd again.

            "Where did they-ah!"

            Aishu gave a slight jump when she felt a pair of arms slip around her waist, the action taking her off guard completely. Before she knew it, she was wrapped up in the tightest hug she had ever received in her life.

"I found you." a soft voice told her.

"Gah!"

With her face beet red, Aishu quickly pulled away and turned to face her two new guardians. That was definitely not the greeting she was expecting.

"Shi-Shizuru-san," she managed to stutter. "N-Natsuki-san. I was…I…"

She was at a complete loss for words. Now hugging might not seem like a big deal to most, but for Aishu it was. Trying to give her a hug that she would willingly accept was like trying to fit a large piece of ice into a tiny water bottle. It just didn't happen.

Unless of course, with enough warmth, someone melted that ice.

"Ne, Shizuru. She's barely been here for five minutes and you're already scaring her."

"Awww, I didn't mean to."

" _Oomph!_ "

Once again, Aishu was pulled into a warm hug by Shizuru, the woman nuzzling into her cheek.

"She's so cute! Just look at her tiny little self with that dark brown hair and those big, brown eyes and-"

"Woah, woah, woah!"

Aishu had finally hit her limit. The entire hugging and complimenting thing was way too much for her to handle. What kind of people were that affectionate the first day? No adult was  _that_  caring.

Pushing back away again, she re-adjusted her bag and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Okay, we need to get some things straight. First off, don't call me cute. I'm not cute. That's for babies, and just because I'm small doesn't mean I am one. Secondly, I don't do hugs. They're not my thing, and I don't intend to make them one."

Natsuki raised her eyebrow at the sudden change of attitude from stuttering to tough. There was the feistiness she was told about and she worried slightly at seeing it. Shizuru, on the other hand, just giggled.

"Not one for hugs?" The older brunette asked. "We'll just have to see about that. If you truly feel that way, you might want to keep an eye open then. I have a little habit of sneaking in hugs from time to time."

"Yeah, she kind of does." Natsuki replied, scratching the back of her head. She had lost count of how many times Shizuru had snuck one in on her ever since they met many years ago.

Aishu could feel the heat rising to her face. Despite verbally rejecting the idea of hugs, the one given she somewhat enjoyed. She couldn't remember the last time she got one like that.

"Y-yeah no, not happening!" she stuttered out. "I usually keep my guard up pretty well. It was just a little harder this time, you know, being surrounded by so many people and all."

"Excuse me."

Aishu turned at the sound of a male voice to find a conductor standing behind her. He walked towards Natsuki and Shizuru with a pen and paper in hand.

"Well if it isn't the Graceful Amethyst and the principal of Garderobe," he said with a smile.

Shizuru simply smiled.

"Indeed it is. How are you today?"

"Fine, thank you," he replied. "Just need you to sign this paper here claiming you picked this young girl up."

Shizuru took the paper and signed it before handing it over to Natsuki, who did the same thing. When the blunette was done, she handed it back to the conductor, the man bowing in return.

"Thank you very much," he told them. "Have a good day." Before leaving, however, he faced towards Aishu and smiled.

"You're one lucky kid. These are very good people. You be a good girl now."

" _Weirdo,_ " she thought.

"You have a good day, too!" Shizuru replied, and just because Aishu's gaze was elsewhere, and well, just because she could, she quickly put her arm around the child and hugged her once more. "And I would have to say we're the lucky ones. We have a cute girl staying with us this summer. I'm sure we will have no problems."

"H-hey!" she shouted, the scarlet color gracing her face again as she pulled away. "What did I tell you about doing that? And about calling me cute! And, y-you…"

A mix of embarrassment at once again being hugged and the light feeling of actually liking it had her stuttering again.

"Always on guard, huh?" Natsuki mumbled with a smirk. However, moments after, she realized she must have said it a bit too loud for Aishu was now shooting her with a death glare.

"Baka," she mumbled.

Sensing slight tension, Shizuru quickly cut in.

"Well then! Shall we get your luggage?"

"You're looking at it."

Shizuru went silent, her eyes furrowing slightly as her gaze dropped to the slightly tattered bag.

"Oh, well all right then! To the limo we go."

Before leaving, Natsuki, who was feeling a little guilty for her earlier comment, quickly tried to remedy the bad start.

"Hey, you've had a long trip, you know? Let me carry that bag for you."

"I slept the entire trip," Aishu replied without even looking up. "And I'm ten, not two. I can take care of myself."

This comment made the blunette freeze for a moment in mild shock.

"I didn't mean to say, I was just-"

"We should hurry while we can," Shizuru said softly, intervening once more. She figured the first day would be a little rough, so it was best just to let the little hiccups go and have things run as smoothly as possible. "Just so we can beat the traffic."

She reached out and slipped her hand into Natsuki's, squeezing it a little to provide her some comfort. She reached to do the same for Aishu, but all the girl did was back away and follow.

" _Nice try,_ " she thought, stealing glances at the two of them as they walked. " _I told her that I don't do cute and I don't do hugs. What makes her think I want to hold hands?_ "

After a few minutes of wading through the crowd, they finally made it out of the train station and to the limo that was ready and waiting. Though her face was neutral and unchanging, she was slightly excited to see one. She had never been inside a limo before.

Before climbing in, Natsuki once again tried to be nice and offered to stick Aishu's bag in the trunk, in which Aishu replied with a mere wave before crawling inside. She preferred keeping whatever goods she owned close. She couldn't trust adults with anything.

After scooting down to the far end, she rested her head in the palm of her hand. She tried to keep her mind occupied with what was going on outside, but found herself struggling to stay focused.

" _What is with those two? I'm stuck with one person who is happy and huggy and another who looks confused every time I speak._ "

Well, she did reply rudely every time Natsuki tried to talk, hence the confusion on the blunette's part, but she blocked that fact out of her mind. They just weren't the type of people she was expecting to meet. In the past, most adults were either very confident and cocky, paid her no mind, or just plain old cold. This was a bit of a change from what she was used to.

" _Don't get used to it. Adults are always so damn hopeful when it comes to new things. They'll probably start getting tired of me in a few weeks. Maybe I can get out of here quicker than I think._ "

While she refused to admit it, deep inside, she found the new attention to be enjoyable. It naturally left her feeling awkward due to the lack of affection she got in the past, but at the same time, it felt nice.

" _Don't lose focus,"_ she scolded herself. _"They may seem nice now, but that'll change. Block it out, Aishu. You know that the only person you can depend on is yourself._ "

After a few moments, she was joined by both Natsuki and Shizuru, who kept their distance much to her relief, and soon they were off.

 

* * *

 

"She's fun, isn't she?" Shizuru whispered with a smile.

Natsuki sat back against the leather seat with her arms across her chest.

"Fun is not the word I would use to describe her. Do you see the way she's been acting? Every time I try to help she gets all defensive and rude and makes me feel stupid."

"Just give her some time." She needs to get adjusted. She may act all tough, but she's still just a child. She'll come around. To be honest with you, I find how she acts to be somewhat amusing."

"Amusing?" Natsuki asked with a slight scoff. "How do you find  _that_  amusing?"

Shizuru smirked.

"How? What, you don't see it? It's so very clear. A striking resemblance if you ask me."

"Resemblance to what?" the headmistress asked, peeking over at Aishu.

"Why, a resemblance to you of course!" she replied, amusement clear on her face. "She's just like you!"

"What?" Natsuki asked, snapping her gaze back to her wife. "She is not!"

"Oh, but she is! Didn't you see how she acted when I hugged her, getting all beat red and stuttery, and how she's playing Ms. Tough and unaffected? She's just like you were when we first met! You used to blush every time I gave you a little compliment or a simple hug."

"Hey! That's not my fault!" She exclaimed, trying to keep her voice low. "With you, there was never a simple hug or a little compliment! Your attempts at saying something nice would somehow end up sexual, and your hugs would always turn out to be you trying to grab my boobs and-"

"And look at you now! Still getting all worked up. You're just so cute Nat-su-ki-chan."

Shizuru could see the frustration on Natsuki's face as she turned and pouted, her face red as a tomato. She knew Shizuru was right, but she would  _never_  admit it.

"It's like having a little Natsuki around!" Shizuru whispered excitedly. "Awww, a little Natsuki. Isn't that cute?"

"No way in hell is that cute," her wife replied through gritted teeth. "There's no way she's a little Natsuki."

Shizuru giggled.

"Whatever you say dear." The brunette knew their lives were about to become much

more interesting with little Aishu around, and honestly, she couldn't wait.

"Whatever you say."

 


	4. Chapter Four

**A/N: Hopefully this is still enjoyable :) As a warning, there is some Shiznat nomming towards the end of this chapter.**

 

Chapter 4

Though it wasn't as long as the initial ride to Windbloom, the trip to the beach house was still a bit of a drive. The nervousness Aishu felt upon arrival, along with the frustration from the affection, disappeared for the time being, her eyes too busy soaking in the passing sights. While she had seen her share of technology in Aries, it was nothing compared to what she was witnessing now. She almost didn't want to blink in fear of missing something.

After another half hour or so, they finally left the big city and entered a small town just outside of the beach. It was filled with houses of different shapes and colors, different shops, and different restaurants, and though the sun was just beginning to set, there were still quite a few people roaming about. Eventually, they were let out at a boardwalk and continued on foot from there, her eyes still glancing back at the many places nearby. Would she be able to see some of them during her stay?

As they continued on, she let out another small yawn. Though she slept on the train, she still felt very tired. That tiredness, however, waned momentarily when her eyes fell on another great sight.

"Wow…"

Near the end of the boardwalk stood what had to be one of the most beautiful houses Aishu had ever seen.

" _This_  is where we're staying?"

"It is," Shizuru answered with a smile. It was cute seeing the girl in awe. "You like?"

"Yeah," she replied, almost inaudibly. Out of all the places she had stayed in the past, none had been as exquisite as this. It had a somewhat diamond-shaped structure to it with large glass windows on either side, and with the night now setting in, the darkness that began

surrounding them gave the house a comforting glow from the outside lights.

When they reached the entrance, Shizuru unlocked the door and the three of them stepped inside. Once again, Aishu was awestruck, for it was just as beautiful on the inside as it was on the outside.

"Let's give you a little tour," Shizuru told her, Natsuki not too far behind. "Right now, you're standing in the living room."

Aishu explored the well-groomed area, rubbing her hand gently over the cream-colored couch.

" _It smells like Spring,_ " she thought. " _Kind of like flowers._ "

"Over here is the kitchen," Shizuru continued. "And over here…"

Aishu followed in silence as the tour continued, the trio exploring the two bathrooms, where the closets were, a little sun room with a piano in it, and one last room. A room placed at the top of the stairs, first door to the right, and right next to Natsuki and Shizuru's bedroom.

"This, my dear, is yours."

A funny little feeling travelled through her chest as Shizuru opened the door for the three to enter.

"We just had it repainted not long after we found out you were coming," Natsuki said. "I hope the color is ok."

The color was more than ok. Blue has always been a favorite of hers, and that was the theme of her room. From the baby blue curtains that hung on the window to the soft rug that felt good beneath her feet.

" _Wow, I even have my own bed, oh, and a dresser! There's a book shelf, too with lots of books on it. I do love to read, and look at the view from my window. I can see the ocean!"_

Though she hid it, she was incredibly excited.

"This is mine?"

Both women smiled.

"Yes," Natsuki answered. "You like it?"

Aishu nodded.

"Good," Shizuru said back, her hand reaching out and giving Aishu's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "We'll let you take this chance to settle in. We know it's been a long day for you, so get comfortable. I'll be starting dinner very soon if you're hungry."

Aishu nodded again, too sucked into her new surroundings to verbally reply.

"Just come down when you're ready," Shizuru said warmly before the two turned and finally exited the room.

Now alone, she placed her bag on a nearby chair and went to sit on her new bed, bouncing on it a bit to get a good feel. It was much better than the kind of mattress she used to sleep on and it didn't have little springs sticking up from it either. Here, she would probably be able to sleep a little more peacefully. She wouldn't have to worry about stolen blankets or hair pulls or thrown items.

" _Don't get too comfy, though. It's not like I can keep it._ "

This was a common thought process for the ten-year-old. With all the moving around she had done in the past, she learned not to call anything "hers", or to get overly excited about things. She also knew that she was only going to be here for the summer, so figured there was no point in getting attached to anything. 

" _You're just a guest. Don't forget that. You shouldn't be all happy and excited over this. Just because they seem very nice, and just because this is all so perfect…_ "

That word struck a chord in Aishu's heart, scaring her slightly. None of this could be right, for nothing was ever perfect for her. No matter how good things seemed in her previous homes, it always ended on a bad note. She knew this new place would be no different, and yet, even with that worry in mind, she couldn't help but notice that there was something about the two women that made her veer from her normally resilient ways. Something about them that made her feel different. They were two of the nicest people she had ever met, and both had given her a warm welcome she was not quite used to. From Natsuki trying to help out to Shizuru's sweetness, she found her heart warming up fast, and that wasn't normal. Not normal at all.

" _Maybe I should just deal with it for now. I mean, I guess it's ok to like this room a little. Just don't be stupid. They will eventually end up like the rest of the adults I've been with and I'll lose everything._ "

Aishu let out a small sigh. She wasn't up to thinking about all these feelings. So instead, she dug through her bag and pulled out a set of sleep shorts and a t-shirt before changing. Once finished, she headed downstairs, the thought of exploring a little more pushing away the negative thoughts.

Upon entering the kitchen, Aishu found that Natsuki and Shizuru had changed as well, Shizuru sporting a beautiful light blue kimono-like robe while Natsuki dressed much like herself, the woman in a t-shirt and shorts. Choosing to not say anything, the girl headed to one of the sliding doors in the kitchen and let herself out, walking out onto the wooden deck and stopping once she hit the railing. At this point, the sun had set, leaving her welcomed by many twinkling eyes above her. Seeing the sky decorated with a million stars to this extent was yet another first for the female. She didn't get to see too much of that back in the city, but on the random nights she could see a good chunk, it always reminded her of one thing, and seeing the sight she saw now only increased that feeling.

            " _I'm so small. So insignificant."_

"I love coming out here in the summer."

The girl jumped slightly when she heard the voice, and when she turned around to look, she found that Natsuki had followed her. Still not really in the mood to talk, Aishu went back to leaning on the railing and locked her eyes with the rhythmic ocean.

"It's always so peaceful," Natsuki told her. "And it serves as a nice chance to get away from people for a while."

Now this Aishu could relate to. In not really being a people person herself, she always wished there was a place she could run off to and escape, but being in an orphanage didn't give her many of those chances.

"I have to agree. This is a nice little get away spot."

Shizuru's voice came from behind. Aishu didn't bother turning for this one.

"Though I love my duties as an Otome," Shizuru continued. " I don't always like running around all the time or being surrounded by so many people in the city. I very much enjoy my time out here alone with Natsuki."

She giggled a bit before speaking again.

"Now we have you to enjoy this with, and we're so very glad we do. I think we're bound to have a lot of fun."

This comment made Aishu blush slightly. She prayed neither could see and did her best to ignore them, keeping her gaze on the sea. As she did, she got the urge to touch it, wanting to feel the waves against her skin. She had loved the water, always feeling the need to be outside every time it rained. It gave her a nice feeling and seemed to calm her on even the roughest of days.

Looking back up at the jewel covered sky, she found herself lost once more, and in being so lost in thought, she failed to realize that Shizuru was now behind her. Before she knew it, a pair of arms pulled her in close.

"H-hey!"

"Shhhhh…"

Aishu could feel body tense up, and when Shizuru pulled her in closer and nuzzled her head beside the girl's, she panicked a little more."

"S-seriously, you're-"

"Shhhh," Shizuru said again. "Just stop for a second."

This was when Natsuki came closer, too. While she didn’t join Shizuru in an embrace, she did run her fingers through Aishu's dark locks. The child was not comfortable being in this position at all.

" _I don't like it. I don't."_

Then why did it feel so warm? Why did that warmth seem so inviting?

" _It's too much. I really don't want this, so why are they…_ "

Aishu gulped as her grip around the railing tightened, her mind racing. Her head was telling her she hated it, but her heart was saying something else. Her heart spoke the words she refused to admit to herself and felt the needs she hid from the world. The need to be held. The need for closeness. The need for attachment. There wasn't anything she was attached to in her life. She thought she had buried those needs long ago, but right now, as Shizuru gave her that light little squeeze, she found them returning.

" _They can't make me feel this though. I don't want to feel this way. This is happening too fast._ "

Aishu couldn't understand why the two women were already acting this way. It wasn't possible for an adult to care for a child as quickly and easily as they did.

" _This isn't good. Move, Aishu, move._ "

She was rooted to the spot, however, her grip still tight. It wasn't until a little breeze passed her by, sending the smell of roses in her direction, did she loosen it slightly. It came from Shizuru, the shampoo scent filling Aishu with a bit of comfort.

" _Well, I guess this isn't so bad, right?"_

Aishu's heart was starting to overpower her mind, her body becoming less tense. The warmth began feeling good, the closeness slowly silencing her inner turmoil. Even Natsuki playing with her hair felt nice. Who was she kidding? She could deny needing little things like this all she wanted, but deep in her heart, in a place no one could touch, the yearning thrived.

" _Should I just give in?_ "

She felt Shizuru's face nuzzle in a little more, the soft voice that spoke pulling her from her thoughts.

"See, I knew you'd like it if you stopped moving long enough. I was wondering where that Aishu was. Now I can see you."

As soon as those words left her mouth, the fear reawakened inside of Aishu, causing her to tense right back up. She broke through her frozen stage and quickly pushed back and away from them both.

"Aishu-"

"Shut up," the girl spat, cutting Natsuki right off while staring at them with an angry glare. "Just shut up. You see nothing. Neither of you do, so don't go trying to play nice. You just met me. I know an act when I see one."

"It's not an act," Shizuru told her. They both really wanted to faun over Aishu and give her the kindness she deserved. They wanted her to feel welcomed and safe with them.

"Liar," Aishu said back. She wasn't going to fall for it, and before they could say anymore, she turned and took off. Jetting through the house, she flew up the stairs and into her room. After slamming the door behind her, she fell back against it, her hands balled in fists as she cursed at what had happened. She had weakened for a moment, letting her guard down from the "tough act" she had been using all day.

" _They see nothing,"_ she said to herself, finally making her way to her bed. Not bothering with the blankets, she curled up in a ball on top and closed her eyes.  _"They don't, and they know nothing, too. Who do they think they are? I only met them today, so why are they being that nice? Nobody wants to love on a kid that much, no one. Not this early on._ "

It didn't make any sense, not to the girl who had given up on comfort and love a long time ago. She could remember yearning for it being so strong when she was younger, but as time passed, and as her heart kept breaking, she closed it up. She told herself there was no point in relying on others for love or comfort or anything. She told herself she wasn't allowed to.

Biting back a few tears, she curled up a little tighter, a wave or tiredness from the day kicking in as she did. Trying hard to push the thoughts from her mind, she finally fell into a deep sleep.

 

* * *

 

 

"Well, day one has barely just ended, and we already failed at the job."

Natsuki and Shizuru had just finished dinner and were now relaxing in bed, the two propped up against some pillows. Natsuki had her arms crossed over her chest while Shizuru lay her head upon the others shoulder.

"It seemed like we were doing everything right," Natsuki continued. "I mean, nothing was _that_ terrible. It doesn't seem like she approves of us at all."

"She's just scared, " Shizuru told her. "I was hoping that if we showed her we cared from the beginning, then she would be less afraid, but her fear of families is strong. It's like she wants to have that comfort of being safe and loved by someone, but she's too scared to face it."

"Well, look at where she grew up," Natsuki said back. "Yukino did a run on her history and it's not exactly a pretty one. She's been in and out of foster homes all her life, some of them not the greatest, and if not in a home, then she was back at the orphanage. Who knows how she was treated there."

Shizuru lingered on this thought for a moment, her heart breaking a little. After being in and out of different homes, Aishu probably felt very unwanted, and if she was mostly treated badly, she probably didn't trust others very well at all.

"What are we supposed to do?" Natsuki asked, breaking the momentary silence.

"The only thing we can," Shizuru replied. "We have to give her nothing but love and to make her feel as wanted as possible. She needs to be shown that she'll be ok here and that she doesn't need to be afraid."

"How are we supposed to that that when one, she won't listen to us, and two, freaks out over a simple hug?"

"By simply doing what we did today," Shizuru answered back. "Keep hugging her, keep being affectionate. Don't ever stop. No matter how hard-headed or tough she may act, in the end, she's just a child, and all children, no matter who or how they are, all yearn for safety and love. I know she wants it. Before she pulled away, I could feel the tension leaving."

Natsuki couldn't help but smile at this.

"See, I told you that you'd be good at this."

Shizuru gave the woman's arm a gentle squeeze.

"You are, too. She'll warm up to us both in no time."

Natsuki was hoping for this. Although she was terribly nervous and had no idea how to be a parental figure, she really did want the best for Aishu. She wanted the girl to feel at home.

"You know," the blunette said, a small smile creeping on her face. "You were right. She is like me, isn't she? Little Miss Tough."

"That she is," Shizuru replied with a smirk. "Yukino and Haruka were pretty smart in bringing her to us. What better way to help a child than to place her with someone who had a hard time in life as well, someone she can relate to."

"I did have a hard time," Natsuki told her. "I always felt so alone. So out of place. It was you who helped changed that. No matter what, you were always by my side."

Shizuru nuzzled into Natsuki's arm warmly.

"I always will be, and we'll both be by her side and show her she doesn't have to be afraid. You'll be able to relate to her and I will help by doing exactly what I did to you."

This sudden thought made the brunette giggle a bit.

"Well, maybe not  _exactly_  what I did to you."

"Shizuru," Natsuki mumbled with a blush.

"You remember, don't you?" Shizuru asked, feeling playful now.

"I-I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Oh really?" the older woman whispered seductively while bringing her mouth closer to Natsuki's ear. "Well, maybe  _this_  will remind you."

 With that, she gently blew into the blunette's ear, giving the woman immediate chills throughout her body.

"Must you?" Natsuki asked with a half-smile.

In reply, Shizuru pulled away and leaned back against the headboard.

"You really don't want to have some fun?" she asked with a fake sound of sadness.

Natsuki looked over at her lovers' body. Before climbing into bed, Shizuru had changed from her blue kimono robe to a thin, black lingerie nightgown that came just above her thighs. She  _knew_  Shizuru had done this on purpose for it was a favorite of Natsuki's. She loved the way it fit her lovers' body, exposing every single curve the headmistress desired.

Shizuru saw the way Natsuki was looking and, just to be a tease, she laid down and pulled the blankets up over her entire body.

Natsuki couldn't help but giggle a bit at the sight. Without any hesitation, she pulled off the covers and went after her. Reaching out, she pulled Shizuru's body close to her own, the natural warmth feeling good against her skin. Leaning in, she placed a soft kiss upon Shizuru's lips before fluttering them over the soft, pale crook of her neck, tiny Shizuru like mewls filling the air. Her hand also found its way to her wife's' chest, a moan of satisfaction her reward.

"Ara, if my Natsuki wanted some fun, she should have said so sooner."

At these words, Shizuru's hand slithered beneath Natsuki's shirt and began softly stroking her stomach and side. Natsuki gasped at her touch. The blunette went to speak, but Shizuru muffled those words with a deep, passionate kiss. Shizuru eventually reached for her lover's shorts, tugging them off while Natsuki bucked in satisfaction.

After a few minutes, the brunette rolled Natsuki over and placed herself on top, the two of them staring at each other with love and lust in their gaze. Now that the shorts were out of the way, things would be oh so much easier. Reaching underneath Natsuki's shirt again, she let her hand stroke across her chest, Natsuki in turn reaching up and pulling down the straps of Shizuru's gown. They wanted to be as close to each other as possible, no amount of clothing in the way, and after another exchange of passionate kisses, the two disappeared beneath the covers and danced into the night.

 

 


	5. Chapter Five

Chapter 5

_Poke poke. Poke poke._

It was a beautiful late June morning, about three and a half weeks since Aishu had first come to stay with Natsuki and Shizuru. During that time period, the craziness she experienced on the first day continued. Both women kept up with their affection and hugging, and Aishu still yelled at them for it. It was a never-ending battle.

_Poke. Poke poke._

Normally, weekends or not, the ten-year-old was always up early. On this particular Saturday, however, the girl was still in bed, all curled up comfortably in her blanket. She could thank Natsuki for the fact that she was sleeping in. After dinner the previous night, the blunette began to chat about how important it was for Otome to know hand to hand combat. According to the conversation, Aishu learned that Otome serve masters, usually royals, and fight with gems, the gems allowing them to materialize into their robes. These robes gave Otome's super strength and the ability to materialize a weapon. Aishu mentioned that they sounded strong enough already, but Natsuki told her that fighting with a robe was useless if one didn't know how to fight properly. One thing led to another, and the next thing she knew, she was in the middle of the living room, taking lessons on how to punch properly from her guardians. It had taken a little coaxing and prodding, but Aishu eventually gave in just to shut them up.

_Poke. Poke._

Aishu scrunched her nose when she felt the warmth of the sun on her face, her brows furrowing slightly as she slowly began to wake up. She could smell the ocean breeze as it blew into her room, the summer air ruffling her brown locks. She loved waking up to this weather.

_Poke._

The weather, however, was not the only thing trying to wake her.

"Mmm…"       

Something had been poking at her cheek. After rubbing it, she slowly opened her eyes. If she had been more awake, she would've been much more aware of her surroundings, but seeing as she was all groggy and sleep fluffy, it took her a good minute to gain sight and process what was in front of her.

Well, more like _who_.

"Ara, good morning sleepy head."

….

"N-nyaa!"

Like a bat out of hell, Aishu jumped and shot from her bed, falling right out of it and onto the floor with a thump.

"Ow…"

Slowly sitting back up, her baby browns peeked over the edge and stared over at the person who had decided to make herself comfortable among the blankets.

"What do you think you are doing?"

Shizuru giggled at the reaction.

"I just thought it would be wonderful to come and personally wake you up myself!"

" _Get. Out._ " Aishu hissed, her eyes like daggers.

"There's something I want to tell you!"

"Out!"

Aishu quickly grabbed a pillow and launched it in Shizuru's direction, the woman easily dodging it.

"You know you look absolutely adorable when you're sleeping, right?"

"I said out!"

"Did you know that you talk in your sleep as well?" Shizuru asked with amusement. "It's just too sweet!"

"You little…"

Crawling back onto the bed, Aishu reached for another pillow to throw at the other, but Shizuru moved much quicker, and before the younger girl could make her move, the woman gently tackled her onto the bed and began snuggling her up.

"Wh-what? Y-you! Let me go!"

"I can't," she said, nuzzling the girl's cheek warmly. "I love holding you! It's not my fault you're so cute!"

"I am not cute!" she snapped, a blush on her face as she struggled to get free, but Shizuru had a good, firm grip.

"Aww, yes you are!" Shizuru replied. "You're just so tiny and adorable and those big baby browns are just so sweet! I could snuggle you all day!"

"No! It's not allowed! Now get off!"

"I really can't! You're just so snuggleable, but, if you really don't want this, there  _is_  something that could make me let go."

"What?" Aishu half shouted.

"Well…"

"Tell me!"

Aishu was desperate at this point, a battle between whether or not she liked these snuggles going on inside of her. The "not liking" side was obviously winning, so she would basically do anything to get out.

"Well, very soon, Natsuki and I are going to go shop around the beach stores. We'd love it if you came along."

"What?" Spend the day with them? She had been avoiding them like the plague since her first night which, thankfully, was never mentioned. Now they wanted to spend the day with her? She didn't like this idea at all, but, in the end, if it got her out of snuggles…

"Wh-fine!" Aishu spat. "Fine! I'll go! Now move!"

"Will you let us buy you things?" Shizuru asked.

"Excuse me?"

"We want to buy you things!" The woman repeated.

"I don't think so. I don't need anything from you!"

Spending the day with them was one thing, but allowing them to purchase things for her? That could not happen. The idea of gift giving fell in line with showing affection, and while the idea warmed her up a bit, it still felt too weird.

"You don't want us to buy you anything?"

"No!"

"Aww, well, ok then." Shizuru snuggled Aishu up a little tighter. "I guess I'll just have to hold you _all_ … _day_ … _long_."

With that being said, she nuzzled the girl's cheek one more time before placing a warm kiss on it.

Now that did Aishu in.

"Gah! Okay!" Her face was redder than a tomato. "I'll go! I'll spend the day with both of you and you can buy me whatever, just get off!"

After giggling again, and after another light nuzzle, Shizuru finally let go and slipped off the bed

"One of these days, you'll see just how adorable you are."

"Lies!"

Grabbing another pillow, Aishu threw it at the woman again, still missing as Shizuru dodged it and backed out the door.

"We are going to spoil you so much today, Ai-chan! You'll have so much fun! We'll be leaving in half an hour or so. Oh, and breakfast is also ready if you are hungry."

"I'm not!" she said back, now walking over to the door. "I'm not hungry, I'm not cute, I will not have fun being stuck with you two, and don't call me Ai-chan!"

With those final words, she slammed the door shut, pressing her back upon it and sliding down until she was sitting on the floor.

" _What_  is her deal?"

She thought that after her first night, the two would have left her alone, but the affection never stopped. Aishu would normally be spitting and sputtering in anger at this point, but something kept her from doing so. A little flicker in her chest, that flicker warming the cold that had surrounded her heart.

" _Impossible. Snuggling is for babies, and you're not a baby. Maybe you wanted this once upon a time, but not anymore. You can take care of yourself. The only thing they're trying to do is reel you in so they can hurt you in the end. They don't like you."_

Those last few words played in her mind. Despite constantly thinking about them, she had trouble convincing herself that they were true for, despite the shock of her guardians' actions, the previous events were kind of nice. She woke up to someone wishing her a good morning and then snuggling. No adult had ever done that before. If Natsuki and Shizuru didn't like her, then why would they do such nice things?

She slipped her hand over her cheek, the warmth from the motherly kiss still there.

"Baka."

With a small sigh, she stood up, locating her bag and digging through it for a pair of black shorts and a blue t-shirt, trying hard to shake off what had happened, but not matter what she did, no matter what thought she tried to push away, one thing remained. That warmth from the kiss on her cheek, and the warmth from the arms that had held her, had left a mark on her heart.

 

* * *

 

 

"Ara! The weather is perfect! The stores look like they're carrying a lot of cute things this year, too. Don't you think, Ai-chan?"

Cringing slightly at the name she didn't wish to be called, she grumbled out a yes, keeping a slight distance between herself and the other two.

Seeing the child wasn't all that happy, Natsuki turned and faced her wife with mild confusion.

"Ne, how did you manage to convince her to come? She doesn't look like she wants to be here."

Shizuru, wearing a long, white skirt and a purple tank top, simply smiled, slipping her hand into the blunette's.

"I didn't do much," she answered. "I only woke up with her, snuggled her, and threatened to do so all day. Oh, I also gave her a little kiss on the cheek."

Natsuki snickered, smiling a bit as she looked back at the girl. Thankfully, Aishu's gaze was darting around at the scenery, so her glance was not caught.

"Threatening with snuggles," Natsuki said with amusement. "That's got to be the first time I have ever seen that used."

"Hey, it got her here, didn't it? I even got her to agree to let us buy her things. She deserves some spoiling."

"Wow, you're good, but do you really think all this will work? You think if we treat her well and such, she'll ease up a bit?"

"I think so," Shizuru replied. "It's just going take a bit of time. She's a kid, and all kids want love and attention. She'll come around."

The three continued to walk along in silence, Aishu lost in her own little world. They only stopped when Natsuki pulled a cell phone from her pocket. Like Aishu, she was sporting the shorts and t-shirt look, except the woman's shorts were tan and she was wearing a black halter.

"It's around 9:30a.m. now, and we were planning for lunch around one, so that gives us a good three and a half hours to play with. Want to just start from one end and work our way down?"

"Sounds good to me," Shizuru replied. "Ai-chan?"

Aishu merely shrugged at this, wanting nothing more than to get this day done and over with.

When all were in agreement, the three entered the first store and worked their way down, vising music stores, book stores, and clothing stores. Luckily, for Aishu, she wasn't bothered so much, finding a way to escape on her own. She agreed to go out with them, not spend every minute with them. She also figured if she escaped and spent more time on her own in the stores, it would be harder to snag her and try to buy her something. To be honest, Aishu hadn't found anything she liked, that was until the fifth store they visited. After escaping yet again, she wandered into a clothing section, items being shown roughly around her size. The first thing that caught her eye was a baby blue sundress. Walking over to it, she let her hand run over the fabric.

" _It's so soft._ "

"Sneak attack!"

Out of nowhere, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist and she soon found herself in a warm hug.

"B-baka!"

Aishu broke from the grip, turning around to find Natsuki and Shizuru, Shizuru behind the hugging of course.

"Not in public!" Aishu snapped.

"Oh, so you mean I can hug you at home, then?"

"No! Never!"

Shizuru giggled at this before nodding over to the clothing item Aishu had been looking at.

"Did you like that sundress?" She asked the girl.

Aishu, a little too full of pride to say anything, stepped away, crossing her arms over her

chest.

"No, I don't."

"It looked like you did," Shizuru replied. "I saw how you were staring at it."

"I wasn't staring!"

"Really, do you like it?" The woman asked again.

"What does it matter?"

"Well, if you like it, you should try it on."

Aishu locked gazes with the crimson eyes of the speaker, Shizuru returning the gaze with a warm smile.

"I don't think that's a good idea," the girl told her.

"Why not?"

"I already know I won't look good in it."

"You know this how?"

"I just do!"

Walking over to the dress, Shizuru picked it up off the rack and held it out to the little girl. Looking up, Aishu half expecting the woman to bully her into doing so, but the look she received was much different. It was warm and very much encouraging.

"Come on," she said softly. "I bet it'll look great on you. Give it a shot. You never know. You don't have to if you really don't want to, but I think you should give it a try."

Aishu was actually pretty warmed up by the encouragement, and because of that, in the end, she agreed to at least try it. Taking the dress from Shizuru, she walked over to a nearby dressing room without a word.

" _I can't believe I'm doing this,_ " she thought, and she really couldn't. Aishu was a fighter, but something about Shizuru's words and the warmth she gave seemed to keep that resilient side at bay. She knew that wasn't exactly good and made a note to never let that happen again.

When she had slipped it on, she took a small, deep breath and stepped out to the waiting couple.

"Aww," Shizuru said happily. "What did I tell you?"

"It's not that great." Aishu muttered.

"It is, too!" Shizuru said back. "Take a look for yourself."

Giving a little sigh, she turned to face the mirror that was in front of the door, and when she saw her reflection, she froze. They  _were_  right. It didn't look bad on her. In fact, Aishu really loved it.

Through the mirror, she watched as Natsuki stepped behind her, a warm smile on her face as she reached out and gave Aishu's shoulder a gentle squeeze.

"It's cute. You really do look pretty, you know?"

A deep blush appeared on Aishu's face, the warmth sparking in her heart keeping her from arguing. No one had ever called her pretty before.

"She does look pretty!" Shizuru exclaimed. "Oh look, a hat to match!"

Turning, the girl saw the brunette walking towards her with a matching blue sunhat.

"Uh, no, that's ok. We really don't need to-"

It was too late. Shizuru had placed the hat on her head before the sentence could be finished.

"You see those sandals? Those would go well, too! And look at that!"

"Shizuru-san, I-"

It was no use. Shizuru had grabbed her by the wrist and went on a crazy search for things that matched. By the time they left the store, not only did Aishu have the dress, but she also had the hat, a white shell necklace, matching blue flip flops, a silver bracelet, and a small blue backpack. By the time they got home for lunch, the items had accumulated much more.

"Holy jeeze."

After eating, Aishu ran upstairs and disappeared into her room, staring at her bed full of new treasures from the morning trip. Never, ever, had she owned so many things, and what she now owned included new books, more outfits, some clips for her hair, a new blue beach towel, and a white bathing suit

" _I don't get it."_

In being alone at the moment, her guard was able to drop, and whenever it did so, her mind would begin to race a mile a minute, all her held back thoughts coming to life. All her worries. All her fears.

" _I don't understand? Why?"_

A weird feeling began creeping into her chest, traveling down to her stomach and making it feel funny. It wasn't a good feeling either, a saddened and confused look upon her face. Any other kid would have been excited at this point and happy to have been spoiled so much, but for Aishu, she wasn't used to that. She wasn't quite sure what to do. In her mind, there had to be some kind of explanation on why they would do such a thing, some piece of logical thought in why they had spoiled her so, but she could not think of any. She had done nothing to deserve this. She wasn't anything special. She was a kid, and not their kid either. Just a kid.

" _If I think about this logically, then there is only one reason why they would do this._ "

She knew what possible reason it could be, and in knowing, it broke her heart a little. It all made sense though. Everything added up if she thought of it that way. There would be no other reason why they would spoil her silly.

" _To think, for a moment, I thought their kindness was real. This is what I get for being stupid."_

"Ai-Chan?"

Aishu snapped out of her daze and turned, finding Natsuki standing at her doorway. She would really need to remember to shut that when she wanted to be alone.

"Hey, I just wanted to check on you."

"Check on me?" Aishu asked, furrowing her brows a little, her tone of voice snappier than usual. "What am I, two?"

"Uh, n-no. I was j-just…" Natsuki was a little taken aback by the reply. While Shizuru had easily found ways to show any kind of affection, Natsuki still struggled. She could share kind words with the child as well as some affectionate gestures such as hugs, but she could never do it as much as her wife. She was afraid. Afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing and making the girl angry. Afraid of not being good enough.  

"You were just leaving." Aishu said, finishing her sentence before turning around to face her bed again. "You were leaving. I want to be alone."

Natsuki, blushing a little out of embarrassment, nearly apologized and backed out, but before she could, something stopped her. Something in the look Aishu had given her. Something in her tone of voice. She could remember many times in her school years telling Shizuru she wanted to be alone, but when she said those things, she didn't always mean it, and something inside Natsuki, a gut feeling, told her Aishu didn't mean it, either. So, instead of walking out, she walked herself closer to the girl's side.

"Ai-chan?"

Aishu jumped again, turning to face the woman once more with an angry gaze.

"Didn't I say leave? Why are you still here?"

" _She's conflicted,_ " she thought as a familiar memory from her school years played in her head. Some people might have not been able to make any connection and think the girl was being serious, but Natsuki saw something else. Something she knew all too well. Something she used to do herself, and when she looked to where Aishu had been looking, right at the new goods on her bed, it didn't take her long to figure out what the smaller one might have been thinking. The scene wasn't very different from one the headmistress had experienced herself.

" _Yukino and Haruka were smart to bring her to us. She'll have someone she can relate to._ "

Shizuru's words rang true.

"What do you want?" Aishu asked.

Natsuki stared down at the gifts.

"Do you know why we bought you this stuff?"

For a moment, Aishu was silent. She wasn't expecting that type of question and it shook her slightly because of what had been on her mind.

"What does it matter?" The girl asked in turn.

"Do you?"

Once again, Aishu was silent. She wasn't prepared for Natsuki to question her like this. Usually the woman always stumbled over her words and didn't know what to do when it came to her. Aishu wasn't blind, she could see Natsuki's struggles.

"Yes." The child finally said.

"Why?" Natsuki asked.

"None of your business."

"Tell me why you think we did it."

"No!"

The two remained unmoving for a moment, the conversation at a standstill. Aishu had told the woman to leave, but Natsuki could see right through it. She could hear the unspoken cry that called for her to stick around for that cry, once upon a time, came from Natsuki herself, and even though Aishu wanted someone, the blunette knew she was still too scared to let it out.

"We didn't do it because we had to."

Aishu said nothing to this, Natsuki now stepping closer to the girl who still did not move. She had to find some way to get the girl to answer.

"We didn't do it because we felt it was an obligation."

Still nothing, but Natsuki wasn't going to give up.

"We didn't do it because-"

"You did it to gain my trust."

_"Bingo,"_ the blunette thought _._ Now she was getting somewhere.

"What?"

"I said, " Aishu told her angrily. "You did it to gain my trust."

"I see." Natsuki's voice was soft. "Is that what you really think?"

"Why else would you?" Aishu asked, surprised at herself that she was speaking these words, words that wanted to be heard but she never thought she could say. She wanted to stop herself. She wanted to run, but for some reason, she couldn't.

"It's happened to me before," the girl continued. "To get to the hearts of children, adults buy their way in. They will throw toys and goods and money the child's way, thinking they are showing love or simply doing it to get them out of their hair. Just like you and her."

"You think Shizuru and I did this to win your happiness, or to get you to leave us alone?"

"You're an adult," Aishu said simply. "That's what they do."

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe we did it because we wanted to?"

"Not true."

"Or we did it because we wanted to show you that you were special and deserved some spoiling?" Natsuki could feel her heart breaking a little. The girl had to believe her.

"Or that we did it just because we care."

"You're lying!"

Aishu raised her voice for this, half out of anger and half out of fear. Natsuki was dancing too close to her own thoughts, reading the worries and fears the young girl had. She felt vulnerable, and she didn't like it.

"I'm not lying…"

"You are," Aishu told her. "There's no other logical explanation for the recent actions of the two of you."

"We care."

"You don't."

"We care about you."

"No, you don't!" Aishu's eyes began glazing over slightly. Natsuki was crossing onto dangerous territory. "You don't care. I'm not stupid you know! I've only been here for three weeks. Three weeks! How could you care for me already?"

"How could we not?" Natsuki asked. "Maybe you had us from the moment we met you. Maybe you-"

"Get out."

Aishu was raging now, her gaze turning away again. Her own personal boundaries were being crossed by someone who thought they knew what she was going through. In her mind, Natsuki knew nothing. In her mind, Natsuki was a liar. She didn't know anything.

"Aishu-"

"Get out!"

Although she didn't want to, Natsuki knew now would be the best time to go. She tried, and sort of got somewhere, but staying now would only make things worse. That didn't, however, stop her from doing one last thing. Moving behind the girl, she wrapped her arms around her waist as Shizuru would, pulling her close and whispering into Aishu's ear.

"Not every adult in the world is out there to hurt you. You're safe here, and we won't stop trying until you see that."

 With those last words, she pulled away, walking out and closing the door behind her.

" _She's lying. She's lying."_

Aishu was shaking slightly now, the remnant of Natsuki's warmth still around her, her words burnt inside her mind. How had she been able to tell what she was feeling? How did she know what had been going on in her head? How was she able to see through her? She didn't like that. She didn't like that at all. Aishu was tough, but for some reason, Natsuki found just how to bring her close to cracking, just how to say what was on her mind.

" _There you are, Aishu. Now we can see you._ "

"They can't see me!"

Aishu lay her back onto the wooden footboard of her bed, sliding down until she was seated on the floor. Bringing her knees to her chest, she hid her face in her arms, trying hard to repeat the words she knew had to be true.

" _They can't see me. They can't. Natsuki. Shizuru."_

 


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

More than three weeks had passed since the mini-blow out between Natsuki and Aishu. Despite the time, there was still awkwardness between the two, Aishu constantly keeping her distance. Natsuki had tried to apologize and tell the girl her true intentions, but she was never given the chance. If they were ever in the same room together, Aishu would take off almost immediately, basically giving her the silent treatment.

_Creaaaaaaaak._

It was sunny July afternoon in Windbloom, the house silent with the exception of a lone door slowly creaking open. From the crack, a pair of chocolate brown eyes gazed into the hallway, looking for any signs of movement, but none came. After purposely waiting a few minutes, she finally opened the door all the way and slowly stepped out. So far, so good.

Once her door was shut, she padded down the hallway, keeping her steps light, especially when walking by the room the two women resided in. When she had successfully passed it, she let out a small sigh of relief. She was safe.

_Click!_

"Uh oh."

"Ai-chan!"

"Ooomph!"

So close. She was so close. It was her fault for thinking that she was in the clear. If only she had kept her guard up completely, then she wouldn't be in this mess.

"Must you," Aishu grumbled.

Shizuru giggled in reply to this, squeezing the girl tighter.

"Of course I must. You're just so huggable!"

"Are you serious?" Aishu asked with frustration. "I've told you so many times how much I dislike them, yet you still seem to think otherwise. There's something wrong with you."

"I'll let there be something wrong with me if it means I get to hug you. Now, how many failed escape attempts have you had?"

"Oh shut it!"

A very red faced Aishu pulled from the woman's grasp, silently cursing to herself. No matter how many times Shizuru snuck in a hug, it was always enough to make the child blush. You would think that after specifically telling her how much she hated them so many times, the woman would stop, but those words seemed to go in one ear and out the other. In fact, these attacks were an everyday thing and it always happened more than once, Aishu unable to escape any of them. Though, she did have to admit that deep down, she found the whole affair to be a bit funny. It was like a game between the two and she did enjoy it despite her words stating otherwise. There were days when Shizuru hugs felt nice, but the child would rather poke her eye out than ever admit that.

Aishu was about to talk another step when Shizuru spoke out again.

"Hey, wait."

The woman tugged the girl back, embracing her once more from behind.

"What did I just say?" Aishu asked, half exasperated. When no immediate reply came, she spoke again. "I said wh-"

"Have you been doing okay?"

Aishu paused at the other's words. She wasn't prepared for that question.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean just as I said," Shizuru replied, her voice soft. The playful tone it sported earlier was gone. "You've been off ever since that night. I'm worried about you."

Aishu's cheeks tinted pink upon hearing this. Shizuru was well aware of what happened between her and Natsuki.

"Your worrying is a waste of time."

Shizuru only tightened her embrace when she heard this.

"Caring for you, playing with you, worrying about you…none of it's ever a waste of time. You're not a waste of time."

Aishu's heart did a backflip when those words were spoken, the sincerity piercing her defenses.

"It's a waste. Now let me go. I don't like your hugs."

Shizuru remained still.

"Do you really hate them that much?"

Aishu's eyes widened a bit. There was a streak of sadness in the tone the woman used, and it hurt Aishu to hear it. Still, she couldn't go against everything she believed in. She couldn't go against her dislike of families.

When Aishu couldn't answer, Shizuru lovingly kissed her cheek and let her go. There were so many things Aishu wanted to say in that moment, so many feelings she had wanted to let out. It was getting harder and harder to keep everything inside, her chest feeling like it could burst at any moment.

" _Don't,"_ she told herself. " _Just don't"_

Heading downstairs now, Aishu passed through the living room, stopping at a small closet to grab her beach towel before heading into the kitchen to grab her sunglasses off the counter. She had made up her mind to spend the afternoon at the beach, the idea of being alone sounding wonderful. She even slipped on her new white bathing suit under her pink t-shirt and black shorts in case she wanted to go swimming, something that sounded ideal with how hot the day was.

"Good morning, Ai-chan."

Aishu stopped in her tracks, turning to face the source of the voice, though she partly regretted doing so.

"Uh, did you sleep well?"

It was the same reaction every time. Whenever the emerald gaze would lock with her own, her defenses shot right up. Her mind would start racing, butterflies would form in her stomach, and her chest would go through a series of emotions, the strongest being sadness and confusion.

Placing the sunglasses on her head, she turned around and headed for the door.

"I slept fine," She told her. "I'm going to the beach."

"W-wait!"

Once again, Aishu stopped, turning and facing Natsuki with a clear look of irritation. At this point, Shizuru had also joined them, walking over to the counter to prepare some coffee.

"Natsuki has something to tell you," the brunette said simply. Aishu, who was still eyeing the Natsuki, simply cocked an eyebrow, silently hoping this would not take long.

"U-uh, well, y-you see," she stuttered out. "We have guests his afternoon."

"Guests?" Great. More people.

"Yeah. Old friends of mine and Shizuru's. There's Mai, and there's Mikoto. We haven't seen them in a while, so they thought they'd come spend the day, and we're having a big dinner later, too. A bit of an early one. Um, I'd really like it if you could stick around and meet them."

Aishu was quiet for a moment, the answer to the question quite easy. She was still adjusting to being around these two. What made them think she wanted to meet more people?

"No," the girl said simply.

Natsuki gawked this answer, tripping over her words yet again as her already low confidence sunk lower.

"Wh-what? Why?"

"I don't want to," Aishu answered, her tone cold.

"B-but, they're friends and I-"

"So? They're not my friends."

"W-well, I thought-"

"You thought wrong. I don't like people. I prefer being by myself. In you knowing that already, why would I want to meet two complete strangers?"

Natsuki didn’t know how to answer this.

"You'll want to because, if you do, you'll get your wish. We'll never hug you again."

The room went silent at the brunette's sudden input, Natsuki looking almost as in shock as Aishu was, the two watching her as she turned to face them.

"What?" Aishu asked incredulously.

"I said that we’d stop hugging you," Shizuru replied. "You don't like it when we do it, correct?"

"Uh, yes."

"You hate them completely?"

"Yes."

Aishu wasn't quite sure where this all came from for it wasn't like Shizuru to do this, and though Aishu was answering yes to all the questions, she inwardly knew these words weren't true. It was only out of pride did she say them.

"Well then, this is the perfect deal. If you come to dinner, meet them, and stay without disappearing, I promise we will no longer hug you."

"Do you mean that?"

"I wouldn't lie to you," Shizuru answered. "You have my word. No more hugs unless you tell us otherwise."

"I'd never tell you otherwise," Aishu said back, pride kicking in yet again as her heart broke.

"Well, there you go. It will benefit you in the end. Do we have a deal?"

The girl was silent for a moment, surprisingly a lot more torn then she thought she would be. She really didn't want the hugs to end, but she didn't have it in her to just up and say that out loud.

"F-fine. We have a deal."

"Perfect!" Shizuru smiled like her normal cheerful self. "Feel free to spend the day as you wish. We will call you when dinner is nearing."

Aishu just nodded before turning without a word and walking out.

Natsuki, who was still gawking at Shizuru, couldn't believe what had just happened.

"What are you doing?" she asked. "I thought we were going to help her so she wouldn't be so afraid anymore."

"This is helping," Shizuru said calmly. "I know she likes our hugs. It's obvious. There have been multiple times where she could have easily avoided me or you sneaking up on her, but she didn't. She won't last long, and when she is ready, she'll ask for one. By the way, when will those two be coming?"

Natsuki wasn't surprised her wife had come up with an idea like that. Unlike her own ideas, Shizuru's were always perfect.

"Um, in a couple of hours," the blunette answered.

"Does Mai know about her?"

"Yeah. I told her everything. I originally asked her to come here because I thought she might be able to help a bit. She was always talking and giving advice to me when I was having trouble getting close to you. She always seemed to know just what to say. Like me, I know Aishu gets the way she does because she's scared, so I thought Mai would be able to help her out a bit."

"I think she will," Shizuru told her. "It's a good idea!"

"Is it? The last idea I had messed everything up." Natsuki sighed and leaned back against the counter.  "She hardly talks to me anymore. She doesn't even like being around me. I knew I'd horrible at this."

Shizuru's eyes softened a bit, the woman placing her coffee cup down and walking over to her other half, standing beside her.

"Don't say that," she said softly. "You're doing fine. You really are."

"You can't say that. I know she hates me."

"She doesn't hate you," Shizuru said back. "She's probably just scared like you said. In knowing what she was possibly thinking and feeling that night, she may have been taken way off guard and probably needs some time to process it. What you did is right. Trust me, she will come around."

"If you say so."

"I do," the brunette replied, tucking a piece of the woman's hair behind her ear. "Though, I do have to say one thing. She definitely has your stubbornness."

"Hey! I wasn't that bad," Natsuki said with a blush.

"Oh really?" Shizuru asked with a raised brow. "I remember a certain someone slapping me when I asked her to be my room attendant. You were so bad with your feelings that I had to fight for you against Haruka in a match!"

"That wasn't my fault!" Natsuki told her. " _You_  forced yourself on  _me_! That's why you got slapped!"

"Did I?" Shizuru asked playfully. "I don't ever recall doing something like that to my Natsuki."

"Wh-what? Shizuru!"

The crimson eyed beauty burst into giggles, pulling her wife close. Bringing Natsuki's back to her chest, she wrapped the woman in a warm hug and rested her chin on her shoulder.

"It was all worth it just to be here with you."

Those words warmed up Natsuki up immediately, causing her to smile. Pulling away slightly, the blunette turned and eyed her other half with love.

"You always know how to make me feel better, you know that?"

"What kind of wife would I be if I couldn't do something as simple as making my Natsuki smile?"

This caused her grin to grow, and before the two began setting for their friends' arrival, she pulled Shizuru closer and gave the woman a warm and happy kiss.

 

* * *

 

 

"What have I done…"

It has been a couple of hours since Aishu left the beach house. While she had meant to go swimming, the girl ended up sitting on top of her towel the whole time. Tucking her knees to her chest, she buried her face into her arms. It was always the same. She would fight and fight against any kind of affection given to her that when she lost it, she regretted fighting it in the first place. She had already screwed things up with Natsuki, the girl finding it too hard to approach her again. Now she screwed things up with Shizuru as well. Secretly, she loved the attention both women gave her. No one had ever wanted to hug her or take care of her so much in her life.

"Why do I have to be such an idiot?"

"Ne, you know, I heard that talking to yourself isn’t good."

Aishu jumped at the sound of another voice. Looking up, she found a red-haired woman looking down at her.

"Wh-what?"

"I said talking to yourself isn't good.

Aishu blushed and scowled at the remark.

"Neither is approaching a child you don’t know. Go away."

The woman giggled. She had no intention of leaving.

"So, what makes you an idiot?"

Aishu ignored the question.

"I know you speak. You just got done talking to yourself."

Aishu scowled again. The woman making her sound crazy.

"I'm not supposed to talk to strangers, thank you. It's none of your business why I said what I did. Why are you talking to me anyways? What are you, some child stalker?"

The visitor smirked at this, slightly amused at the reply.

"Well then, I take it you're Aishu."

The child's brows furrowed as she stared up at the woman with suspicion and confusion.

"Wait, how is it you know my-"

"Mai!"

Aishu looked to see another female, a dark haired one, running over. She stopped right by the woman's side and tugged her shirt slightly.

"Mai, I'm hungry."

"You just ate not too long ago," Mai said with a giggle. "Not to mention, we'll be having an early dinner at Shizuru's and Natsuki's."

"You're Mai?"

The red-head looked back down at the little girl and winked.

"I am, and this here is Mikoto."

The other gave her a smile and waved.

"So, you're the reason why this all…"

Aishu trailed off mid-sentence, thinking better of it, her gaze now back on the ocean.

"Why this is all what?"

"Forget it."

The two remained silent for a moment, Mikoto now off tormenting some crab.

"Did I do something wrong?" Mai asked.

"No."

"You sure?"

"Mm."

Silence filled the air again, Aishu's eyes angry. Mai chose now to sit with the girl, the gentle wind blowing at the collar of her short sleeved white shirt.

"Is there something on your mind?" Mai questioned.

"No."

"You positive?"

"Of course I am!" Aishu snapped. "And even if there was something wrong, why would I tell you anything? We just met."

"True, but sometimes getting things out to someone you don't know can help lead you to answers you may have never thought of."

Surprisingly, that softened Aishu's gaze slightly, her eyes meeting those of Mai's. The woman smiled in return, causing the child to look away again.

"Shouldn't you be with Natsuki and Shizuru?" She asked the older woman.

"I'll get there," Mai replied. "Mikoto wanted to see the ocean first."

Aishu looked for the other woman again, Mikoto still messing around with the crab.

"It's funny, you remind me a lot of Natsuki."

Aishu's brows furrowed at this comment.

"I'm nothing like her."

Mai shook her head.

"You're a lot more like her than you think."

The young brunette grumbled as her fingers fiddled with the sand. She couldn't see how her and Natsuki were similar.

"How well do you know Natsuki?" The girl found herself asking. Although she had been ignoring her guardian willingly, she did miss her. Before the argument, the blunette showed affection, too, but after, Aishu didn’t let her.

"Pretty well actually," Mai answered. "We went to Garderobe together. She was the number two coral and I was number one. We were rivals, but also great friends. Shizuru was a year ahead of us. She was the number one pearl."

"Did she have a hugging disease back then, too?"

Mai laughed out loud at this.

"For sure, especially with Natsuki. I take it she hugs you a lot, too?"

"Yeah," Aishu answered, her heart sinking a little. "She won’t be any more though."

"Oh? Why not?"

Aishu couldn’t answer, her chest clenching.

"Did something happen?

The girl sighed and hid her face in her arms.

"It doesn't matter."

"Hey, if it matters to you, it matters."

Aishu peeked back up to see a warm smile.

"Talk to me."

Before she could give it a second thought, Aishu spoke, telling Mai everything that had happened from the moment she arrived. She wasn't usually the type of person who would share things so easily, but up till now she had kept it pent up inside. Aishu worried that she was talking too much, but Mai carefully listened to her story without complaint.

"Now, in return for going to this dinner and meeting you guys, she said they wouldn't hug me anymore."

The thought of that saddened Aishu a bit more than she anticipated.

"I see," Mai said softly. "You don't want the hugs to stop, do you?"

"Well, part of me does, but there is a bigger part of me that wants them to keep coming," Aishu replied shyly. "Sometimes it feels uncomfortable, mostly because I'm not used to it, but at the same time, I enjoy it, and now I can no longer get them because I messed things all up."

"No, you didn't. Didn't you say that she would only stop unless you told her otherwise?"

"Well, yeah, but…"

Aishu was too nervous and still a little too prideful to ask such a thing.

"Hmm. Well, from the looks of it, you have two choices," Mai told her. "One, you can ask them to start hugging you again, or two, you could break the ice yourself and give the hug first."

Aishu felt her chest do a funny jump, a small amount of uncomfortableness hitting her.

"Hug them myself?"

"Mhm! See, what you can do is attend dinner as planned. You know, just hang out. Try to enjoy yourself a little, and when the chance is given, sneak in a hug of your own."

Aishu was very uncertain of this plan.

"I mean, I don't know."

"Listen," Mai continued. It'd be perfect. There would be no pressure in asking them anything, and you can take your time with it. Do it when you're ready. Wouldn't it be best to do something you were uneasy with at your own pace?"

Aishu could see the sense of this. If she really tried, she could get those hugs back.

"Wait, are you sure that they really care about me though?"

She had told Mai that, despite their actions, she had trouble believing it.

"Of course they do," the red head replied.

"It's only been a month and a half though," Aishu said back. "How can they care about me already?"

Mai sighed at the question.

"Why do you think that there needs to be a time limit for someone to care about you?"

"Well, isn't there?"

The woman shook her head.

"Not in this case. It's like Natsuki told you. You had their hearts the moment they had you."

Aishu shifted in place shyly.

"I just don't see how that's possible."

"If you give them the chance, then they'll show you why it is," Mai said in turn.

Aishu grumbled lightly. She was used to be much tougher.

"Well, if I do go along with this, will you stay until I do?"

It wasn't like the girl at all to ask for help like this, but in talking to Mai, she was able to sort through her thoughts and feelings a little more, and if she was going to do something that was a big deal to herself, she didn't exactly want to be alone.

"Of course," Mai answered with a warm smile. "Anything to help."

"Thanks," Aishu muttered. "Oh, what about Natsuki?"

She had told the woman of the encounter the two had and was unsure of how to fix it.

"Well now, for that, you'll have to do some talking."

"I won't know what to say."

"Yes, you will," Mai replied. "It might be hard at first, but once it gets going, it'll all come naturally. Believe me when I say that if there is anyone in the world to talk to about how are you are what you feel, it's Natsuki."

"Why's that?" Aishu asked curiously.

"When you speak to her, you'll see. Of course you can go to Shizuru as well, but, it’s like I said. You're a lot more like Natsuki than you think. Trust me, everything will be ok."

Aishu nodded. She was scared, but somehow talking to Mai eased that slightly, her thought process a little clearer.

"Well, what do you say we head back? I'm sure they wouldn't mind some help."

"Yeah, okay."

The two stood then stood up, Mai calling for Mikoto, and once they were all together, the three headed for the house.

"We're here!" Mai shouted once they entered. Mikoto, who was always very easily distracted, instantly went over to the huge fish tank in the living room.

"Hey!" Natsuki said with a half-smile. "You're here a little earlier than expected."

"Figured I would come up and help out if needed, "Mai told them. "I know how bad Natsuki's cooking can be, so I thought Shizuru could use the extra hands."

Shizuru giggled at the comment.

"Mai…" Natsuki said through gritted teeth. It was then, much to her surprise, she noticed who was standing behind her friend.

"Ai-Chan?"

Feeling a little shy, Aishu kept her gaze away, pretending to be focused on other things. Mai, trying to comfort a little, placed her hand on the girl's shoulder.

"She wanted to come in and help, too!"

"That's great!" piped in Shizuru. "The more the merrier!"

So, for the next few hours, they all helped prepare an early dinner, and when dinner came, Aishu took care to remain closer to Mai side as she had done since they arrived, her nerves kicking in if she was alone with the married couple.

When dinner was finished, Mai, Mikoto, and Aishu all gathered into the living room to relax. Natsuki had excused herself for a moment and stepped outside, her reasons not mentioned. Shizuru was still in the kitchen.

"I'll be out there in a moment!" she told them. "Just a few more dishes to clean up and then I'm finished."

Kneeling on the couch, Aishu peeked over the edge of it and at the brunette woman, her mind and heart still very conflicted.

"Are you all right?"

Aishu gave a small shrug of her shoulders.

"I think."

Looking back at Shizuru with her, Mai smiled, poking the girl in her side.

"You know, now would be the perfect time if you're thinking about it."

In fact, she was. Aishu was trying to sort out her feelings enough to bring out some courage to get her to go over to Shizuru, but her thoughts kept interrupting that process.

"What if she gets mad?" Aishu whispered. "What if she doesn't want one right now?"

"Oh yes, she's going to get so mad at you for hugging her," Mai said sarcastically. "Don't be silly, she won't be, and if it's coming from you, she is going to want that hug."

"What if she doesn't? What if she isn't in a mood for one? What if I mess things up somehow?"

"You won't!"

"But what if-'

"Ai-chan, you're over thinking," Mai told her while poking the girl in the forehead. "There's nothing to be afraid of, I promise."

Aishu's gaze became even more worried as she peeked back over at the aforementioned woman. Her heart was saying just go do it while her head was throwing a million 'what-ifs' and worries her way. She did, however, finally manage to ignore them long enough to move, slipping off the couch and walking over to the kitchen entrance.

"You can do it," Mai whispered with a wink. "Good luck."

Taking a deep breath, Aishu took a few steps forward, stopping half way there when the butterflies in her stomach became much worst. Shizuru, thankfully, still had her back turned, Aishu watching as she dried off her hands with a towel.

Looking back at Mai, the woman nodded and urged her on, and so she moved, walking a little closer. When Aishu was only inches away from Shizuru, she stopped again. Now was the moment of truth. All she had to do was hug her and then, well, she didn't know what.

" _You could still run though. She hasn't seen you yet. You could run, and she'd never know you were here._ "

The prideful, independent, and fearful Aishu liked that idea, but the warmer side that had started to peek out ever so slowly during her stay had become just a little bit stronger, reminding her that if she didn't do something, she wouldn't have any hugs. That was something she didn't want to lose. So, after a few more moments, she took a deep breath and finally reached out to the woman, arms wrapping around her waist as her face hid in her back.

Shizuru, taken off guard, gave a small gasp and looked behind her, her eyes moving from shock to warmth in a matter of seconds.

" _She's going hate this,"_  Aishu thought to herself. " _What if she makes fun of me? What if she teases me about not being able to last long? What if-_ "

Before she could finish her next thought, Shizuru shifted, turning around to face her before pulling the girl right into a nice and tight hug. This was a move Aishu wasn't expecting thanks to her twenty worries, but there she was, wrapped in the familiar embrace. Yes, her body did feel out of place. Yes, there was still a small part of her that wanted to run, but for once, she didn't. In fact, she really couldn't. Staying in it long enough, she realized just how warm it was. She realized just how comforting it was. There was no reason to run. Aishu wanted to say something about how warm and good it felt, but she was still a little too shy to do so. Thankfully, it was Shizuru who broke the silence.

"That's my girl," she said softly, caressing Aishu's deep brown locks. Pulling away, she rested her forehead onto the child's, the woman's warm gaze locking with Aishu's shy one

"I'm so proud of you. That was a wonderful hug and I loved it very much. I look forward to more Aishu hugs in the future."

Hearing those words made Aishu blush a little, and unable to keep it anymore, she dropped her gaze, fearing that if she held it any longer, she would cry. Smiling at this, Shizuru pulled the girl back into her arms, rubbing her back comfortingly.

"It's okay," she whispered in a motherly fashion, placing a warm kiss on Aishu's head. "It's okay."

Looking up at Mai, who was now standing at the entrance, the woman gave her a thankful smile, the other simply smiling and nodding back.

After a few more moments of hugging, Shizuru pulled away again, this time kneeling to Aishu's height while holding the girl's small hands in her own.

"You know, there's someone else I know who would love a hug from you."

Aishu, who had calmed down quite a bit, was now feeling all nervous again in knowing who Shizuru was speaking of.

"I messed things up though," she said softly.

"Oh no, you didn't," Shizuru replied back with a smile, tucking a piece of the girl's hair behind her ear. "She still cares for you a great deal and wants to love on you the way you deserve, but, she's a little afraid you don't like her anymore. She's afraid she's doing a bad job."

"She's not," Aishu said back, her eyes glazing a bit. "I do like her."

"I know you do, sweetheart, and I told her that, but I think she'll believe it just a little more if you were the one to say it and not me. You should go talk to her. Give her one of those beautiful hugs like you gave me. You think you can do that?"

Aishu, though very nervous and unsure, nodded. She didn't want Natsuki thinking she really hated her when she didn't.

Shizuru tapped Aishu on the nose before standing.

"That a girl. Go on then. She's on the porch."

Nodding again, she turned and headed towards the kitchen door, slowly and quietly opening and closing it behind her. Indeed Natsuki was on the porch, leaning against the railing and staring out into the ocean as the sun began to set.

" _How do I even start this?_ "

Aishu had no idea what to say, her mind scrambling for words, but unable to find any. Mai said it would be hard at first, but Aishu had been under the impression that she had screwed up so badly that day that no words could really fix it.

" _That day…._ "

What had gone on in her bedroom between the two of them flashed in her mind again. She could remember thinking she wanted to be alone, and then the shock of Natsuki somehow knowing she really didn't want to be. It was the first time any adult had persisted when she was like that. It was the first time any adult tried to help.

"How did you know?"

Natsuki shook from her little trance, turning back to face the voice. Her gaze was a mildly surprised one when she realized it was Aishu, but it was warm nonetheless.

"How did I know what?"

"That night," Aishu replied. "How did you know I didn't want to be alone? I specifically told you I wanted to be, and I don't believe I did anything hinting otherwise, but somehow, you knew. How is that?"

Natsuki wasn't expecting this conversation and was already tripping over her words, trying to find the right thing to say. She was afraid of screwing up again.

"T-to be honest I, I don't know. I just, I remember walking in and you had this look, and then I noticed you couldn't take your eyes off all the things Shizuru and I had bought you. Most kids would be happy, but you…your look was different. You seemed really conflicted, and then it hit me that perhaps, you were over-whelmed. That you didn't know what to think or how to handle the fact that someone wanted to spoil you. "

"That's what I was thinking," Aishu said back softly, not breaking gazes with the emerald greens. "Though, I could have been thinking about anything. I could have been upset about anything. Why did you specifically think it was for the reasons you just stated?"

"I thought that way because, well, because once upon a time, in my school years, Shizuru had spoiled me like no other had, and I remember doing and feeling the same exact things. I felt over-whelmed, confused, uncertain, and well, I was scared."

"You…were?"

Aishu, whose gaze had been a bit hard, now softened up quite a bit. Natsuki knew how it felt to be scared like that? Was Natsuki not a people person either when she was younger? Many questions like this popped into her mind as she walked closer, now standing beside her and leaning back against the rail.

"Mhm," Natsuki said nodding. "See, I wasn't very good when it came to people. I didn't make friends easily because I didn't really know how to act. I always felt so out of place. So, when I went to Garderobe and first met Shizuru, she was the first person to really take a liking to me, and then came Mai. Now, Mai was a little easier for me to get used to, but with Shizuru, it was a little harder because early on, she had feelings for me. I knew. She knew. Everyone knew. You could see it in her actions. She was always teasing me, playfully of course, bugging at me, but she also cared. There was one day she took me into town and let me tell you, she spoiled me like crazy. I had no idea what to do, and by the time I got back to the school, I was kind of lost. I thought that maybe Shizuru had done it all to gain my trust and love and such when that wasn't the case at all. She just really cared, and it was Mai who helped me realize before I questioned Shizuru for her motives."

Aishu took in what the woman had said. Natsuki had gone through similar thoughts and feelings, not knowing what to do in that situation, and in learning this, Aishu started to feel a little bit less alone.

"So, on the night that we spoke, you knew exactly what I was feeling?" Aishu asked. "You knew everything because you had gone through it before, and you didn't want to leave me alone?"

Natsuki locked eyes with Aishu's once again, her gaze sincere as she spoke.

"Let's just say I can remember telling people multiple times I wanted to be alone, even on the night I just told you about with Shizuru and Mai, and when it came down to it, being alone was something I really didn't want. I was fourteen when I started learning this and it took me quite some time to get used to everything. To having friends, to getting close to others, and to really loving. You're ten. I thought that maybe if I could help you somehow, I could save you from being scared as long as I was"

When she heard this, something in Aishu's heart kind of broke. In the end, Natsuki really was trying to help her. She knew what it felt like and just wanted to show her that it was ok to not be alone. That it was ok to want someone.

"I mean, if you really wh-"

Natsuki had begun to speak, but was cut off almost immediately. Not by any words from the little girl, but from a simple, warm hug.

"A-Ai-chan…"

Natsuki wasn't prepared for this action, but that didn't stop her from hugging in return.

"You're not doing a bad job," Aishu whispered, keeping her face hidden. "I think, I think that I'm pretty lucky to have you. You and Shizuru. I'm sorry for yelling at you that night. Can you forgive me?"

Natsuki, who had caught glances at Shizuru and Mai standing at the door, simply held the girl tight, letting her fingers run through her hair comfortingly.

"There is nothing to forgive," she whispered, a small smile on her face. "I just don't want you to ever feel like you're alone."

"I know," Aishu whispered. "Thank you."

Natsuki's emerald orbs had glazed over. She wasn't a screw up after all.

"No thanks needed. I'll always be here for you. Both me and Shizuru will."

Despite her nerves, Aishu felt like she was walking on air. She had their hugs back. She had them both in general. For once, she truly wasn't alone. There was a lot she still worried about, but for now, she let herself get lost in the safety that was Natsuki's arms.

 

**A/N: Wooo!! Aishu got her hugs!! She can finally work her way up to being more open with her two guardians. Thanks for the reviews so far and please continue to leave them if you wish. Thank you for your support as well. There is still more to come! -sniffs the air- I smell a trip coming up, and, wait…-sniff sniff sniff- do I smell future trouble, too?**

 


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

            The night Aishu gave into the hugs was the first time she truly felt safe in a home. The warmth the women offered helped keep most of her dark feelings at bay, their affectionate ways like a breath of fresh air to the stuffy and resilient soul of the ten-year-old. It was a breakthrough, and both Natsuki and Shizuru used that break to their advantage by constantly reminding the girl just how much she was cared for. Yes, there were still times where Aishu pushed away, the worries and fears taking over, but when that happened, both women were right by her side. They offered every but of comfort to chase the fears away.

            "Aiiii-chaaaan."

            It was an early August morning, the young brunette still in bed. Shizuru sat by her side, gently trying to wake her.

            "Ai-chan," Shizuru's soft voice called again. She reached out and gently scratched her back, which happened to be facing her direction. If only she knew how much back scratches worked on the little girl. If Aishu had been awake, she would have turned into a pile of happy goo.

            "My love, it's time to wake up."

With a stretch and a squeak, the tiny body rolled over, the sleepy gaze meeting the crimson one. In seeing the girl's eyes open, Shizuru reached out and brushed away some of her hair.

            "Hey, you-oh…"

            Shizuru went to say something, but was cut off by a surprising action. The moment her hand had reached out, Aishu grabbed it and held it close, nuzzling her cheek into it. She then sighed contently before falling back to sleep.

            "Aishu…"

            Shizuru's heart melted on the spot, the woman herself blushing. She was touched by this note of affection and now didn’t have the heart to wake her up. Instead, she used her free hand to caress Aishu's hair, smiling as she watched her little one sleep.

            "My beautiful girl, you've come so far over the last few weeks."

            Seeing a happier Aishu made her heart skip. The girl was so special to her, so much that there were days she thought her heart would burst from all the love she carried. She silently prayed that she'd always be able to bring happiness to the child.

            After another ten minutes had passed, Shizuru reluctantly decided to finally wake her, the free hand now lightly scratching Aishu's cheek.

            "Wake up sleepy head."

            At first, Aishu grumbled, her brows furrowing. After, her eyes opened again and met with the woman in front of her. She also took notice to the feeling that she was holding something warm.

            "Ahh!!!"

            Aishu shot up and jet back against the headboard of her bed at the speed of light, pulling the covers close to her as she attempted to speak.

            "You. I. Shi-Shizuru!!!!"

            The crimson gaze looked on in amusement. It took everything within her not to laugh.

            "Well good morning my sweet."

            Aishu covered her cheeks with her hands, knowing very well that they were quite red.

            "Nyaaaa, why did you hold my hand?"

            "That wasn't me!" The woman said back. "That was all you my dear."

            "L-liar!"

            "I promise! You grabbed my hand in your sleep cutie pie."

            "Gah!"

            Aishu tapped her cheeks and closed her eyes. It was true that she was getting better with affection, but that didn’t stop her from getting all worked up, especially when she wasn't prepared for it.

            "You're going to give me grey hairs at a young age."

            Now Shizuru couldn’t hold back her laughter at this, Aishu glaring with a grumble in return.

            "Oh, you are so precious," Shizuru told her. "I can't get over it. I promise you that I played no part in your cute little need to hold my hand. I only came in here to wake you up."

            "Why?" Aishu asked while rubbing her temples.

            "For the trip to Garderobe silly."

            Aishu looked up at Shizuru, the girl a little more alert now.

            "Oh yeah, that's today, isn't it?"

School was still in session at the academy. Shizuru and Natsuki had taken the summer months off to be with Aishu, but had to return today for a meeting about an upcoming Otome graduation.

            "You excited?"

            "Yeah," Aishu said softly as she thought about it. "You sure it's okay for me to go?"

            "Of course it is," the woman said back. "You're welcome there."

            Shizuru gave her a smile and a wink.

            "Can I have my hug?"

            Aishu, although still a little worked up from the wake up call, shifted from her spot and into Shizuru's arms. This was something she couldn't say no to.

            "Mmm, you're such a good hugger."

            The young girl hid her face in Shizuru's chestnut locks, taking in the sweet smell of that lavender and honey shampoo.

            "Did you sleep well?"

            "Mhm," Aishu replied, her eyes closing.

            "Good, good."

            Shizuru tightened her embrace around the child.

            "I could keep you in these arms all day, but alas, we must get ready. Breakfast will be set in about half an hour."

            "Okay," Aishu said back. Although she didn’t say it, she agreed with the other. She could stay in these arms all day.

            "Good girl." Shizuru kissed the side of her head. "I love you."

            Aishu's body instantly tensed up, her heart jumping. Lately, her guardians had gotten into the habit of saying those words and hearing them always shook Aishu to the core. The small yet powerful sentence didn't compute in the child's mind as she was pretty sure no one had ever said it to her in her young life. Pulling back, Aishu faced the other with a scrunched up but cute face, Shizuru in turn feigning surprise, her lips in the shape of an o.

            "Yes?"

            Aishu looked down and stayed silent. Even though she herself felt love for them in return, she couldn't say it. She couldn’t even understand why they loved her in the first place.

            " _I can't be that special."_

As if Shizuru could hear her thoughts, she leaned in and pressed her forehead against Aishu's, her smile warm.

            "You heard me. I love you."

            She flashed the girl a wink before finally letting go.

            "See you down there, Ai-chan."

            Once Shizuru left the room, Aishu flopped back down on the bed, hands returning to her still red cheeks.

            "Why?"

            While progress had been made with Aishu's ability to be cared for, she still had a long way to go. Doubt clouded her mind more often than not, and if it weren't for the constant efforts of Natsuki and Shizuru, she would have already fallen back into her old ways.

            "I just don't understand how they could love me," she whispered softly. "I haven't done anything to earn it."

            She sighed and rubbed her eyes with a groan. Thinking about it too much always made her head hurt. So, with a final grumble, she rolled out of bed and began prepping for the day.

 

* * *

 

"Meister Gem?"

            The three of them were currently on the way to the school in a large limo, the same one Aishu had been in when she first arrived. Aishu was beside Natsuki, the woman sporting her normal principal attire, while Shizuru sat opposite of them.

            "Meister Gem," Natsuki repeated while showing her own to the curious ten-year-old. "Special gems used by those Otome who graduate the academy and serve masters."

            "Wow…"

            "I have one called the Ice Silver Crystal," Natsuki continued. "Shizuru has the Bewitching Smile Amethyst."

            The blunette let Aishu touch hers.

            "So, when an Otome becomes a Meister, they form a contract through their gem with a master," Aishu said, repeating the words she had heard her guardians say in the past. "The Meister Otome fight for their masters and the masters are the only ones who can activate the gems. If the Otome is defeated in battle, the master dies as well."

            "That's correct," Shizuru said with a smile. "Very good."

            Aishu smiled in turn, proud that she had remembered.

            "Well, if you guys have Meister Gems, does that mean you have a master somewhere?"

            "Yes and no," Shizuru answered. "Natsuki and I are part of what is called the Five Columns. We are Meister's who don't have an actual living master and can materialize at will. The master we connect to is the Predecessor, Fumi Himeno. She was the very first Otome. The Five Columns serve the school."

            Aishu listened intently, hanging onto every word said. Before coming here, she hardly knew anything about what Otome were, but the more Natsuki and Shizuru shared, the more interesting the idea of Otome became.

            " _They sound amazing,_ " the girl thought.

            "Hey you."

            Aishu felt a gentle squeeze on her arm from Natsuki, the woman pointing at the window.

            "Take a look."

            Aishu peeked through the glass, her eyes widening at what she saw.

            "Is that it?" She asked excitedly.

            She quickly rolled the window down and leaned out of it. From where she was, she could see the giant building that was Garderobe.

            "It looks amazing!"

            Both women smiled at Aishu's reaction.

            When they arrived at the academy, the three headed straight inside, Aishu taking in the scenery as they walked.

            "Wow, this is the biggest room I've ever seen in my life!"

            They had just reached Natsuki's office, Aishu amazed at everything she saw.

            "This is yours?"

            Natsuki nodded.

            "Shizuru and I live here too during the school year. See that door?"

            Aishu looked over at the white door Natsuki was pointing at.

            "Through there is a hallway that leads to our living quarters. It has all the typical rooms a house would."

            Aishu ran over hand over Natsuki's large desk as she listened before staring out of the large window that was behind it.

            "Wow," she said in amazement. "The city is so huge. Oh, that's the castle the Queen lives in, right?"

            "That's right," Shizuru answered, the woman doing her normal by hugging Aishu from behind. "Queen Mashiro resides there along with her Otome Arika, the holder of the Blue Sky Sapphire Gem."

            Natsuki had joined the now, her hand reaching over and ruffling Aishu's hair.

            "Ne, Natsuki…" Aishu mumbled while scrunching her nose.

            Shizuru giggled and nuzzled her cheek.

            "So cute!"

            "Headmistress. Shizuru."

            The trio turned to find an older woman entering the room. She had grey hair and was wearing a long black dress. With her was a younger girl who was sporting a grey and white uniform.

            "Miss. Maria," Natsuki spoke.

            Feeling a little shy, Aishu half hid behind Shizuru, her hands clasping gently to the purple dress she wore.

            "It's okay," Natsuki said when she saw the girl's shyness. "This is Miss. Maria. She is an instructor here and has been serving as Interim Headmistress during my time away. Miss. Maria, this is Aishu, the girl who has been staying with us."

            Aishu looked over at Natsuki for some comfort before stepping out.

            "Hello, it's nice to meet you," the brunette greeted with a respectful bow. The older woman bowed in turn with a small smile.

            "It's nice to finally meet you as well. I've heard very good things."

            "The student with her is Rin Shinmei," Natsuki continued. "She's the number one Pearl here at the school. She has also agreed to take you on a tour while Shizuru and I are in the meeting."

            Aishu looked back over at Natsuki with a little surprise.

            "Really?"

            She very much liked the idea of this. She had heard so many stories and wanted to explore, but at the same time, she felt nervous about leaving Natsuki and Shizuru behind.

"Welcome back, Headmistress. Shizuru-oneesama," the girl said before turning to Aishu. "It’s nice to meet you, Aishu-chan. I hope I can make your visit pleasant. Shall we begin?"

            Aishu looked up at Shizuru with a little worry, but the other just smiled and squeezed her shoulder comfortingly.

            "It's all right little one. We'll see you as soon as the meeting is finished."

            Aishu nodded and headed towards the student.

            "Have fun," Natsuki told her. "Thank you, Rin."

            "Of course, Headmistress," the student replied. "Come on, Aishu-chan. I'll show you the classrooms first."

 

* * *

 

 

Whatever nervousness Aishu felt disappeared when the tour began, Aishu's eyes unable to stay still. The school was just as amazing on the inside as it was on the outside, and Rin took care to show her everything Garderobe had to offer. She was able to see the classrooms, the dining area, the dorm rooms, the pool, and so much more. Her favorite area was the library.

            "Thank you for showing me around," Aishu told Rin, the two now walking outside. "The school is beautiful."

            "It's no problem at all," Rin said in return. "I'm glad you've enjoyed yourself."

            "What's it like being a student here?"

            "Hmm. Well, it is a lot of work. Classes can be very hard, but it's worth it in the end. Do you think you might want to become an Otome one day?"

            Aishu's mind paused for a moment.

            "Me?"

            She never really thought about that before.

            "I don't really know. I mean, I don't think I'd be very good at it to be honest."

            "If you ever decided you wanted to, I think you'd do great, especially with the support from Shizuru-Oneesama and the Headmistress."

            Aishu thought on this a little more. Could she ever become an Otome?

            "Are you enjoying your stay with them?"

            The young girl nodded her head, her mind trailing back to the morning events. The warmth was still with her.

            "They're both amazing people," Aishu told her. "I care a lot about them. It’s almost like they're…"

            Aishu let this sentence trail off.

            " _Family."_

Just like the word love, family was another thing she couldn't say loud. She had fought against the idea of having a family for so long that the concept was foreign to her.

            " _I can't call them that, not unless they want me forever, but that won't happen. Forever is an awful long time._ "

            Her heart hurt a little. There were often times when she wanted to share these thoughts with her guardians, but she could never get herself to do it. She was too afraid of messing things up. She didn't want to do that now that things were finally going so well. Why ruin a good thing?

            "Aishu-chan?"

            Aishu looked up to find Rin looking back at her with a little concern.

            "S-sorry," she stuttered out. "I was just thinking."

            Rin simply shook her head and smiled.

            "It's all right. I'm happy you're enjoying your stay with them. They care about you a lot."

            "You think so?"

            Rin stopped in her tracks and looked at the other a little confused.

            "You can’t tell?"

            "N-no I can!" Aishu said with a blush. Those words just slipped out "Sorry, I do know they care, really. It's just, sometimes I worry that I'm a pain. That maybe I am bothering them too much. They've never had a child live with them before."

            Rin placed her hand on Aishu's shoulder.

            "You shouldn’t worry about that. They enjoy your company. I can tell by the way they look at you."

            Aishu's blush only grew at these words.

            "Th-thanks."

            Rin nodded and pulled her hand back.

            "The meeting should be ending soon. Shall we make our way over to the arena? I was told that they would meet us there."

            "The arena?" Aishu asked.

            "Yes. You see, during the graduation ceremony, two Pearl students will be battle against two Coral students. We call these battles a dance. The two Corals are getting ready to practice as we speak."

            "You mean I can watch the match?"

            "Mhm!"

            "Yes!"

            Aishu was ecstatic, her eyes wide with excitement. As her knowledge of Otome grew, so did her desire to watch them battle.

            "All right then," Rin said, giggling at the girl's excitement. "Let's go!"

 

* * *

 

"Kyaa!"

            Aishu practically skipped while walking between Natsuki and Shizuru, each hand held by both women. They had just left Garderobe for the day, the girl all worked up from how amazing the trip was.

            "This is the coolest place ever!"

            "I'm glad you enjoyed," Natsuki replied with a giggled. "What was your favorite part?"

            "Hmm, well, I really loved the library. There were tons of books! I bet I could read all of them if given the chance."

            "Our little Aishu is a bookworm," Shizuru said, happy to see her so ecstatic. "You know, I have plenty of books I can share with you back home. We could even make our own special reading time."

            "Really?" Aishu asked with a smile. "I'd like that."

            She thought about her day a little more.

            "The library was definitely fun, but I think what I loved most of all was watching the match!"

            Aishu let go of their hands and ran towards the steps that led to the rest of the city, twirling when she got to the edge.

            "They were graceful, but powerful. I can see why people call it a dance!"

            She threw her fist into the air.

            "I want to be able to see one again! They were fast and strong and pretty and-"

            In that moment, Aishu realized just how excited she was getting and blushed, her hands clasping together in front of her.

            "S-sorry."

            The two had caught up with Aishu now.

            "Don't be," Natsuki told her while placing her hand on Aishu's head. "Never apologize for being happy. You'd love seeing another in the future?"

            Aishu nodded, her eyes shining.

            "I really would! I've never seen anything like that before. They were amazing, and if those students were that good as Corals, then you guys must be even greater because your Meisters!"

            "Oh, so when it comes to them being Meister Otome, you get excited, but when it’s me, you just ignore?"

            Aishu turned to find herself facing a familiar face, her eyes widening as she threw her hand out and pointed to the blond woman sporting a green dress.

            "You! You're the old hag I met in the orphanage!"

            "What?" Haruka's left eye twitched, her gaze turning angry. "I'm not old you little twerp!"

            "You're loud, too."

            "Hey! Watch what you say! I'm a Meister Otome just like them so you should show me some inspect!"

            "You mean 'respect' Haruka-chan.," said a second voice. This reply came from Yukino, the woman now joining her Otome's side. "Hello Headmistress, Shizuru, and hello to you too, Aishu-chan."

            Aishu retreated and half hid behind Natsuki. She still had some mixed feelings about the two due to their first meeting.

            "Hello Ms. President. Haruka." Natsuki greeted. "Welcome."

            Haruka scoffed.

            "Your welcome would have been better if you had control over your little beast."

            Aishu stuck out her tongue in reply.

            "What are you even doing here?" The girl asked the raging Otome. "Don't you belong in Aries?"

            "We're here on business," Yukino answered with kindness when she noticed Haruka was about to yell some more.

            "They're meeting us actually," Shizuru added. "It won't take long though."

            Natsuki stepped in front of Aishu and knelt to her height.

            "Would you mind waiting in the limo till we finish? I promise we won't be too far behind."

            Aishu shot a not so nice glare over at Haruka before nodding.

            "Okay. I'll go now."

            She turned to leave, but before she could, Natsuki grabbed her and snuck in a hug.

            "Good girl. Love you."

            Aishu blushed hard at hearing those three words again, the female freezing in place even when the hugging was over with.

            "I…nyaa…"

            "Oh, so that's gets little miss tough to shut up."

            Aishu stared angrily at Haruka for her remark.

            "Baka!"

            After sticking out her tongue once more, she turned and jetted down the stairs.

            "Ara, Haruka gets all worked up over a child."

            "Shut it Shizuru!" Haruka snapped. "That girl has no manners! I can tell she's been hanging around you too much."

            "Well, it was your idea to bring her here."

            Haruka just grumbled.

            "It was Yukino's idea, too!"

            Shizuru smiled.

            "We're not complaining one bit."

            Yukino smiled in turn.

            "Don’t mind Haruka-chan. She's anxious to know how this'll all turn out. She's happy to know that Aishu is doing so well."

            "Y-Yukino!"

            The President then reached into her coat pocket and pulled out an envelope marked with the Aries seal.

            "I haven’t signed it yet," she told the couple. "All the paper work is there though. You sure you want to do this?"

            Natsuki took the envelope and looked down at it, Shizuru unable to take her eyes off it either. They had been waiting a long time for this. They were so close.  

            "Very," she replied, her gaze soft. "However, we want to ask her first. As much as we want to do this, we don't want to proceed unless she is completely comfortable."

            "Well hurry up and talk to her!" Haruka said back. "You're so slow."

            "In time," Shizuru told her. "She has to be okay, too."

            "That's understandable," Yukino said. "Take your time. This is an important event. Do you think she’ll agree?"

            "She better with all that trouble she caused," Haruka muttered. "She's got guts, I'll admit that, but that's no reason to call me old!"

            Shizuru giggled.

            "I hope she says yes. She still struggles, but she's doing a lot better than she used to. It’s beautiful to see."

            "I'm glad to hear it," Yukino replied. "I appreciate you keeping me updated. Anyways, we won't keep you any longer. Haruka and I will return to Aries tonight, but we will be back in Windbloom in a couple of weeks for graduation."

            "Thank you," Natsuki said, tucking the envelope into her pocket. "We appreciate your help. See you then."

 


	8. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

**_3 days before_ **

While Aishu was home napping, Natsuki and Shizuru had gone into town to do a little shopping. While passing by a store, Natsuki's gaze became transfixed on a specific item that was in the window.

"Ne…"

Shizuru, who heard her wife mumble something, stopped in her tracks and looked back at the raven-haired female. Joining at her side, she peeked over at what her wife was looking at, smiling when she saw what it was.

"Ara, you like that?"

Natsuki nodded her head in reply. Normally she wasn't much of a jewelry person, but this little piece had caught her eye. It was a small, silver necklace with a silver heart shaped pendant attached to it. She loved how it looked, and though it wasn't overly fancy, it was a perfect match for her.

"Will you buy it?" Shizuru asked.

"No. I like it a lot, but I don't really need it right now."

"Well, you can afford it," the brunette pointed out.

"I know, but it's all good. Maybe I'll come back another time."

Shizuru slipped her hand into her wife's and placed a little quick kiss on her cheek.

"Well, your birthday's coming up," she told her with a wink. "Maybe somebody will be nice and get it for you."

Shizuru went to kiss her lips this time, but when she did, Natsuki playfully nipped at her.

"Meanie," Shizuru replied with a fake pout.

This only caused Natsuki to giggle before letting the woman actually kiss her.

"Or maybe I'll be happy just to spend the day with you and Aishu."

Shizuru wrapped her arms around the other and nuzzled into her neck.

"Oh, don't worry. We'll be there to celebrate it, but you're going to be getting gifts anyways. Spoils for you!"

Natsuki snickered and hugged back.

"You're impossible, you know that?"

"Yeah, but you knew that way before you married me," Shizuru replied.

Natsuki giggled again. Pulling back a little, she rested her forehead on Shizuru's, a look of love in her emerald gaze.

"I did. Don't ever change. I love you."

This time when they kissed, it was much deeper, the kiss lasting quite a few moments.

"I love you, too, " Shizuru said back. "Mmm, come on, let's finish this up. Aishu should be waking soon and I want you two all to myself."

With one last little cheek nuzzle from the older female, the two pulled away and continued on.

 

* * *

 

 

**_Present Day_ **

**_2:00pm_ **

"Ne, Shizu-chan?"

Shizuru, who had been reading a book on the couch, looked up to find the ten year old standing at the entryway.

"Hey you," she greeted. "You okay?"

Aishu nodded, stepping in a bit and leaning up against the wall.

"I am. I just have a question."

"Yes?"

"Uh, well, tomorrow is Natsu-chan's birthday, and I don't really know what to get her. Do you have any ideas?"

Shizuru smiled, the woman closing the book and placing it down.

"Come here," she told the girl, patting the seat beside her.

Aishu walked over and slipped on the couch, Shizuru turning to face her as she did.

"Stuck on what to get?"

The girl nodded back. She had been saving up all the pocket money she had earned from doing things around the house, wanting to get the blunette something really special. Problem was, she had no idea where to even start.

"Well, there's a book series she reads and really enjoys. She's missing a few volumes and I can write them down if you want me to. Or maybe you can get her a game. You know how much she loves video games, too."

Natsuki was a huge video game nerd, but Aishu couldn't say much for she was always right beside the female whenever game time started up.

"Remember though, Natsuki will love anything you give her."

Aishu shrugged, blushing a little shyly.

"Maybe, but I really want to get her something special. She deserves it."

Shizuru smiled as she listened to the other talk. The more time had passed, the more Aishu had opened up.

"Honey, she'll find anything you get her special, but if you're still unsure, why don't you go into town and have a look around. Natsuki and I have a phone meeting we must be in soon, but if you want to head out and look at the stores while we do that, feel free to."

That was actually a good idea.

"Yeah," Aishu replied. "I'll do that. Thank you, Shizu-chan."

She was about to get up when she felt a pair of arms snake around her waist, pulling her right back down.

"Ara, don't go quite yet. I need my Ai-chan hug."

Aishu wrapped her arms around Shizuru's neck, hugging tightly while hiding her face within those soft chestnut locks. In these moments, she wondered how she could have ever fought these hugs to begin with. What she used to run from she now took comfort in and snagged one whenever she could. She was even getting into the habit of letting them hold her and cuddle for long periods of time. Not often, but she was getting there.

"You're a sweet girl. You're so special and cared for. Don't ever forget that."

            Aishu squeezed the woman a little tighter, using this to express her thanks as she was a too shy to speak.

            After a few more moments, they let go, Aishu a little pink on the cheeks from the event.

            "All right, cutie. Why don't you go and get ready, and I'll write down the books and games she likes."

            "Okay," she replied, her mind returning to her project for the day. She'd find Natsuki the best present and wouldn't give up till she did.

****

* * *

 

 

**_8:00pm_ **

Aishu was now in her room, sitting on the bed with Shizuru's list in hand. She had taken the woman's advice and gone into town in search for either the books or the video games Natsuki liked. She searched everywhere for them, however, the items were nowhere to be found. The book store she visited had every volume but the ones she was looking for and the video game store was closed, the manager on a vacation. In the end, Aishu ended up buying something that neither her or Shizuru originally thought of.

"I hope she likes it."

In her hand was a small purple box, and in the box was a necklace. It was silver in color and had a small heart pendant connected to it. She was entranced by it the moment she found it, but it took her forever to build up enough courage to by it.

" _Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. I mean, what do I know? She's probably not going to like this at all._ "

            Since it wasn't something Shizuru had mentioned, she was worried the gift would be terrible. Aishu had never gotten the chance to buy a gift for anyone before, so she was new at this. Now that she was able to do so, she wanted it all to be perfect.

            " _Remember though, Natsuki will love anything you give to her."_

Shizuru's words played in her mind, and although Aishu believed them, she still worried.

" _I want to make Natsuki smile. I want her to be happy when she sees it. She makes me so happy every day and I want to make her that happy, too. I-"_

Aishu stopped mid thought when her ears picked up a noise. Placing the box on her night stand, she walked over to her door and opened it, the sound she was hearing coming in the form of a giggle. Curious, she tip-toed downstairs and to the living room, crouching low right behind the entry way to avoid being seen, her baby browns peeking in.

"You're just too cute, you know that?"

There inside the living room, the two women she had grown to deeply care for were holding each other and slow dancing. There wasn't any music playing, but the two seemed pretty okay at the fact that they were dancing to their own tune.

" _So pretty,_ " Aishu thought.

"No, I'm very sure you're the cute one," Natsuki said back. "I am the big scary monster. Fear me. Grrr."

Shizuru laughed.

"Oh yes, so scary. Maybe I should run while I can."

"Nope!" Natsuki said, holding the woman tighter. "I'm holding you hostage. You're mine now and I am going to keep you forever."

"Oh no, forever?" Shizuru asked, leaning in and happily kissing the other. "Whatever shall I do?"

" _They're so in love,_ " Aishu thought, watching them in awe. Her heart was melting, her face in a blush. Closing her eyes, she smiled and tried taking in the sweet feeling. She had never seen a couple so in love and so content just being in each other's company. It was a beautiful sight and it made Aishu happy to see it.

"Ara, it looks like we have an audience."

Aishu, snapping from her thoughts, looked up and found the two looking back at her. Embarrassed at being caught, she stood up to take off, but ended up tripping over her own two feet.

"Ouch…"

Shizuru giggled when she saw this, going over to help the girl up.

"Aww, my poor little Ai-chan. Are you all right?"

"Yeah," the girl replied, taking the woman's hand and standing up.

"Good good. So, it seems you've become a spy now, yes?"

"N-no!" Aishu stuttered out, more embarrassment kicking in. "I wasn't spying, I swear! I just, I-"

"You know what," Natsuki cut in with a smirk. "I think she was watching because she wanted to dance, too."

Aishu's eyes almost popped out of her head when she heard this.

"Wh-what?"

"Of course!"

Shizuru pulled Aishu into the living room by her wrist, stopping when they were in the center of it.

"You're absolutely right, Natsuki! I bet she does want to dance!"

"W-wait!" Aishu stammered as she felt Shizuru's hand slip into her own. "This is a bad idea! I don't even know how to dance!"

"Ara, that's ok. I'll teach you!"

"B-but-"

Before the girl even had a chance to finish, Shizuru leaned in and rested her forehead on Aishu's, her gaze warm and loving.

"Come on, little one. Trust me, it will be fun."

Although a bit reluctant, Aishu eventually gave in.

"O-ok."

"Perfect!" said Shizuru, standing up straight again. "Now, to start…"

For the next half hour or so, Shizuru taught her little things on how move when slow dancing, Natsuki amusingly watching from the couch. At first, Aishu struggled, but as Shizuru kept practicing with her, the child got better.

"Hey, look at that!" Shizuru said brightly. "You got it!"

Aishu, who was smiling, continued dancing around with the other, excited over what she had learned.

"I'm doing it!" The girl said happily, giggling as Shizuru twirled her around. "I didn't think I could!"

"I am so proud of you!" The woman said back.

It was then Natsuki decided to join in.

"Excuse me, beautiful lady," she said, tapping on Shizuru's shoulder. "May I dance with

this lovely young girl?"

"Of course." Shizuru replied while stepping back, Aishu giggling at the scene. The girl then slipped her hands into Natsuki's, the two of them now dancing around the room.

"Good job!" Natsuki praised.

Aishu was having a lot of fun. She loved these family like moments.

" _Family,"_ she thought, her smile wide.

"And now…sneak attack!"

Squeaking, Aishu clung to Natsuki's neck as the woman lifted her into the air, carrying her bridal style.

"Gotcha! All mine!"

"Natsu- chaaaaan," Aishu giggled playfully.

"Wait! I want her to be mine, too!" Shizuru called, walking over and placing little kisses all over the girl's face.

"Good idea," piped in Natsuki. "She needs kisses."

Now they were both kissing her all over her face, the girl trying to hide in Natsuki's shoulder the best she could. Then, out of nowhere, Natsuki started spinning, stopping only when they reached the couch and plopping the girl on top of it.

"Woah, woah, oomph!"

Still feeling playful, the blunette reached down and started to gently skitter her nails all over Aishu's tummy, the girl instantly cracking up into laughter.

"No!"

To escape, she rolled off the couch and onto the floor, standing seconds after and crossing her arms over her chest.

"Cheater," she said, trying to keep an angry face on, but it didn't work, a happy grin popping up instead.

Natsuki could only laugh. Taking Aishu by the wrist, she pulled her back onto the couch, taking a seat herself as well. Shizuru joined them on the other side.

"Oh, my little Ai-chan, I am so glad you're here," Natsuki told her, clinging to the girls' arm and resting her chin on her shoulder, Shizuru doing the same thing to the other arm.

"We both are," the crimson eyed woman added.

For a few minutes, the three just sat there, enjoying each other's company. Aishu, however, could only handle this position for so long. Her allergy to snuggles began kicking in.

"All right," she said, getting up. The other two only smirked at this because they knew exactly what was going on. They turned her into a hugger, but she still working on the snuggling part. They'd get there, eventually. "I'm kind of tired, so I think I will head to bed early."

"Ok then, love," Shizuru said back. "You need anything?"

Aishu shook her head.

"I'm all set. See you in the morning. Good night."

"Good night," they both replied.

Before leaving, Aishu opened her mouth to say something more, but her voice locked up, and instead of saying what she wanted to say, she muttered yet another good night and walked out.

As she clicked off the light and settled into bed, she stared at the ceiling, getting lost in her own thoughts.

" _There are still things I can't say or do, things I'm afraid of. I'm not ready for those things yet, but, I love them. I really love them."_

Rolling over, she closed her eyes, a smile on her face and warmth in her heart. She was happy. She was safe, and she had never been more thankful for that in her life.

****

* * *

 

 

**_Next morning, 9:00am_ **

"Naaaatsuki."

The sleeping blunette furrowed her brows, not quite awake yet.

"Oh Natsukiiiii," the soft voice called again.

Rolling over, the sleeping female stretched and yawned, flopping on the opposite side. She was so not a morning person, but the voice that was calling her was just so damn sweet that she couldn't help but open her eyes.

"Good morning, beautiful."

Natsuki's emerald gaze locked with her wife, Shizuru leaning in and giving her a very tender and loving kiss.

"Happy Birthday."

Mumbling something that sounded strangely like "my Shizuru", the blunette curled up closer to her wife, craving her warmth.

"To think you told me last night how scary you were," Shizuru said with a giggle. "I'm trembling in fear."

This made Natsuki snicker, a smile planted on her face as she looked up at her lover.

"I have barely been awake for a minute and you're already teasing me."

"This is news to you?" Shizuru asked, Natsuki snickering again. "I can't help but tease you, and it's your birthday today so that makes me want to tease you more."

Kissing her again, Natsuki sat up a bit more in bed, Shizuru doing so as well, the two returning to their cuddling positions once they were settled.

"You're lucky I love you," Natsuki told her.

"Ara, yes, I am! I can't wait to spoil you silly today, and to give you all your gifts! There was one gift I tried getting for you, but I couldn't find it, so I hope you like the others!"

- _Knock knock-_

Both women looked towards the door.

"Come in," Shizuru answered.

Moments after, the door opened, little Aishu peeking in.

"Um, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bother you. If you're busy I can come back later."

"No silly, you aren't bothering," Natsuki told her, beckoning her inside. "Get over here you."

Opening the door wider, she stepped in, her hands behind her back as she walked over. Both women smiled when they saw this, Aishu's shyness just too adorable.

"Are you all right?" Shizuru asked.

"Y-yeah," she replied, shuffling in place. It was in that moment Natsuki realized that she had her hands behind her back because she was hiding something.

"Ne…what have you got there?"

Still feeling very shy, Aishu slowly brought her hands out, a small purple box gently cupped in them.

"H-happy Birthday, Natsu-chan."

A huge and warm smile graced the blunette's face.

"Aww, Ai-chan. You didn't have to do that."

"I-I know, but, I wanted to."

"Well thank you sweetie. Come here."

Lifting the covers, she called Aishu over, the little girl slipping inside and getting beneath them. Once she was settled, she handed the gift over, Natsuki happily taking it.

"Ooooh, I wonder what you got!" Shizuru said, winking at the little girl.

"I wonder, too."

"I h-hope you like it."

"Honey, I know I will."

With that, she took the little red bow that was on it off and opened the box, her eyes widening when she did. Not only did hers widen, but Shizuru's did, too, the older woman actually breaking out into giggles.

"Well that explains a lot," Shizuru said, clearly amused.

"Did you tell her?" Natsuki asked.

"Funnily enough, I didn't!" Her wife answered. "She did this all on her own."

"Wait, did I do something wrong?" Aishu asked, getting nervous. She knew it, the gift was terrible. "Was that a bad thing to get?"

"Oh no, honey! Far from it!" Natsuki replied.

"There's kind of a funny story behind it is all," Shizuru added. "You see, the other day Natsuki saw this same necklace in a window of a store. She told me she liked it, but didn't want to get it right then. Then yesterday, after the meeting, I swung by the store to get it, but when I got there, the clerk said someone else had bought it. I never imagined it was you!"

"I'm sorry!" Aishu blurted. "I didn't mean to take your gift! It's just…they were out of books and the game store was closed and I looked everywhere for a gift and couldn't find one and then I saw this and thought she would like it and ended up-"

"Breathe love!" Shizuru said, the two women unable to keep from laughing at the girl's ramble. "It's okay! There is no reason to be sorry. I'm quite impressed that you picked out a necklace that Natsuki loved and you weren't even there when she mentioned that she did!"

"You mean, you really don't hate it?"

Natsuki gazed at her when she asked this question, her heart breaking a little. The girl looked really worried and scared.

"Awww, honey, did you really think I wouldn't like this?"

"W-well, I wanted to get you something perfect," Aishu said softly, looking down. "I have never bought a present for someone before and well, I wanted to get something really good for you. I just wanted you happy, and I thought that if I gave you a bad gift, you'd be sad on your birthday."

Natsuki had almost teared up when she heard these words. This poor little girl had been worried sick about whether or not her gift would be hated all because she wanted the blunette to be happy.

"Baby, come here."

She pulled Aishu into a tight hug, kissing her on the head.

"Ai-chan, I love this gift so very much. I really do, but you know what? You could have given me a pet rock and I would have been happy."

Confused, Aishu looked up at the other.

"You would have? Why?"

"Simple. It would have been from you. What did you just say a few moments ago? That you wanted to make me happy, right? Well, you went out and you spent time trying to find me something special all because you wanted that, and the fact that you took time to do so makes me feel happier than you know. Hell, even if you didn't get me anything, I still would have been happy just having you here for my birthday."

"Really?"

"Of course! I have you and I have Shizuru, the two most important people in my life. How could I not be happy?"

Aishu's worried gaze softened, a small smile gracing her face. She was that important to Natsuki? Her being there was enough to make her happy? She made her feel that way?

"Natsu-chan…"

Aishu, feeling so relieved and pleased that the other loved the gift and was happy, wrapped her arms around her neck and hugged her tightly, the woman, of course, hugging back.

"I am so glad you're happy. That makes me happy, too. Happy birthday, Natsu-chan."

Shizuru smiled as she watched the two. Natsuki had always been so worried about not doing a good job or of being a screw up. If only she could see how natural she was at this.

"Yes," Shizuru said, joining in on the hug and getting them both. "Happy birthday, my dear one."

"Thank you," Natsuki replied, her gaze soft and happy. "Thank you both. I'm really glad I can spend it with you two.

"We are more than happy to be here," Shizuru replied.

After a few more minutes of birthday hugs and giggles, Shizuru kissed them both on the head.

"All right, I have breakfast going downstairs. You guys ready?"

"Do we have to?" Aishu asked, enjoying the hugs a little too much. Both women were a bit shocked at how she was clinging, but they weren't complaining.

"Well, I mean, if you want stay here and snuggle…" Natsuki told her.

Oh yeah, that did it. Snuggling was so not happening.

"So, what was that about breakfast?" Aishu asked, pulling away from the both of the now laughing women.

"One of these days, Ai-chan," Shizuru said with a wink. "One of these days."

 

* * *

 

 

**_9:00pm_ **

_"They say when a child falls asleep with you, it means they feel safe._ "

Mai's words echoed through Shizuru's mind as she snuggled up a sleeping Aishu, the rain from outside pounding against the bedroom window. The two of them had been having their special reading time together before Aishu had fallen asleep. Though the child had some struggles snuggling when she was awake, it was the complete opposite when she passed out, her body naturally reaching for the warmth of either her or her wife.

"You two look cute."

Peeking over at the doorway, she saw her other half entering the room, Natsuki winking at her before sitting on the opposite side of the sleeping child.

"See, I knew from the start you would be good at this."

With a little blush, Shizuru looked back down at the girl, Aishu gently gripping at the fabric of her shirt while she dreamt away.

"You are, too," Shizuru said back.

Natsuki smiled, her finger stroking Aishu's cheek.

"You know, the summer isn't too far away."

"No, it's not," Shizuru said softly. "It'll come fast. You thinking about the paperwork Yukino gave us a couple weeks ago?"

The blunette nodded.

            "What's on your mind?"

"Well," Natsuki said slowly. "When we both decided to foster a child, we knew that there was a high chance we would end up adopting whoever came to stay."

Taking in a child had been a huge step for them, but they wanted one more than anything, and not just one to foster, but one to keep. They were in the process of looking when Aishu fell into their hands. They kept that part a secret from Aishu though, wanting her to get comfortable first.

"We did," Shizuru said back. "Do you still?"

Natsuki let out a small sigh.

"Even though I was nervous in the beginning, I was excited to take in a child. I knew that no matter how the child was, I would care for it. What I wasn't expecting was…"

"To fall this much in love?" Shizuru finished.

Natsuki nodded.

"I mean, I knew I would fall in love with whatever child we got, but just, I wasn't ready for how deep it was going to be. I love Aishu to death, and Shizuru…"

Glazed over emerald eyes locked with crimson ones.

"I don't want to let her go."

At this point, Shizuru's eyes began watering, too.

"I don't either. I really don't. God this girl is amazing. She is so full of life and love even if she doesn't see it. I've fallen in love just as much as you. I want to watch her grow. I want to be there for her when she's sad. I want to give her every ounce of love that she deserves."

Scooting closer, Natsuki slipped her arm around the sleeping Aishu.

"Then let's keep her."

Silence passed after these words were spoken, the two focused solely on the young child.

"Natsuki, I couldn't even dream of giving her away."

A smile now appeared on both of their faces. Aishu was a huge part of their lives, and a part they could never throw away. She was too special, and they wanted to keep her in their family forever. They had felt this for awhile now, explaining why they had gotten the adoption paperwork from Yukino earlier in the month. The only reason they hadn't pursued yet was because they wanted to talk to Aishu first.

"Do you think she'd would be ok with that?" Natsuki asked.

"I think so," Shizuru said softly. "She's happy here. I can tell."

"You have to admit, she has changed a lot from day one," Natsuki told her. "Bet if you would have told her before that she would be snuggling and hugging us, she would have punched you in the face."

Shizuru laughed a little harder at this. That definitely sounded like Aishu.

"So, does that me we can talk to her tomorrow?"

Shizuru eyed her wife with a smile before nodding. Feeling excited, Natsuki leaned over to give her the deepest kiss.

"We're going be mothers." Shizuru said softly.

"Mhm," Natsuki said with a giggle. "We're going to have a little girl. We're -"

"Oh. Shhhh…"

Mid conversation, Aishu slowly began to move, the two women silencing their words. After a few moments, lids slowly opened, baby browns scanning their surroundings before locking with the two women beside her.

"Hey there, sleepyhead." Shizuru said softly.

After stretching, she sat up, only to lean back against Shizuru even while sitting.

"Aww, you're just too cute!"

A very excited brunette squeezed the young child, snuggling her to bits, this in turn fully awakening Aishu.

"N-nyaa! Sh-Shizu-chan!"

Giggling, she kissed the girl's cheek warmly.

"What? I'm not doing anything wrong am I? I just want love you and snuggle you and kiss you and-"

Shizuru couldn't even finish that sentence for Aishu had squirmed her way out, shooting towards the end of the bed.

"B-baka!"

"It's not my fault your adorable," said with a smirk.

"Natsu-chaaaan she's teasing me!"

Natsuki could only shrug.

"Well she's right. You are adorable."

"Mrrgrgrrr…"

Aishu slid off the bed and walked to the door.

"You're so not helping. I think I'm going head to bed now."

Despite that mini nap, she was still pretty tired. It had been a busy day, celebrating Natsuki's birthday. Not to mention that snuggling scene got her all worked up, leaving her to need her alone space to process all the feelings that were going through her.

"I guess we can let you," Natsuki said.

"Oh, why thank you for that," Aishu retorted before playfully sticking out her tongue. She then smiled.

"Night guys."

Both women smiled in turn.

"Night little one," Shizuru replied. "We love you."

Hearing those words still made her heart jump. She had desperately wanted to say them back, but they were still locked up inside her. So, instead of replying, she gave them another smile and walked out. Instead of heading to her room, however, she took a detour downstairs, needing some water before passing out.

" _One day I'll be able to say those words,"_ she thought to herself as she headed to the kitchen. " _One day I'll be able to snuggle without getting nervous, too."_

Reaching the room, she opened the fridge and pulled out a water bottle. As she took some sips from it, her eyes wandered around the area. Everything was so neat and clean; this mostly due to Shizuru who liked everything in the house just right. Closing up the bottle, her eyes flickered over to a neatly stacked pile of papers on the counter, the paper on top folded and marked with the Aries seal.

"Aries?"

She knew she wasn't supposed to snoop, but now she was curious, her hands flipping over the top fold to get a peek.

" _Hey, that's my name."_

Picking it up, she moved over to where there was more light and began to read.

_"To Natsuki Kruger and Shizuru Viola_

_I know this is a bit of a bad time to be sending you a letter seeing as mid-terms_

_are right around the corner, but there's something of interest I must inform you about. Haruka was adamant that I send you this as soon as possible._ "

Haruka. Aishu remembered that name. She was that loud and crazy Otome that served Yukino.

_"As you are well aware, I visit various places in Aries so that I may keep an_

_eye out for potential candidates for your school. Just a few hours ago, I passed through a small town and stopped by an orphanage. Haruka, of course, was with me, and when the girls inside realized there was an Otome in their presence, they got very excited. All but one. Haruka noticed this, and, being her normal self, decided to go bother the girl. This child didn't speak at first and tried to ignore, but Haruka just kept pushing. However, she pushed a little too hard and this girl got angry. She shouted quite a few things over at the both of us before running upstairs to her room. Although Haruka was a little angered about this, she was also impressed. She thought it was quite interesting how the girl, unlike the other normal girls she met, yelled and even threatened her, and well, you know how Haruka is. If she thinks someone has guts, she won't let them go, so the both of us followed her upstairs and into her room, my interest peaking as well._

_This child's name was Aishu, and although very reluctant, she answered most of questions we threw her way, even if those answers were mostly one worded. From her, we learned that her full name is Aishu Hinamori, and that she is ten years old. She's been in that place all her life. According to the owner, she did have foster homes throughout her years, but never settled with one. Apparently, she had a really bad experience with her first home, and since then, things seemed to go downhill._

_When we left, Haruka and I had a long talk, and in the end, we decided that she would do well as a candidate for Garderobe. That is, once she is fixed up a bit. Granted, she would still need to take the entrance exams, but I think she'll be a wonderful addition and Haruka is pushing hard for it. However, if she remains in this state, then her chances will become slim. She needs to be worked on, and this is where you two come in. If at all possible, and at Haruka's unending demand, I would like you to take the girl in for the summer and see if you can try to help her a bit. I know how you two are. She's not ready for the school itself with how she is now, so if there is any way you could help her, I would be in your debt. She needs to get out of the place for a while. If you decide to take her on, you can feel free to send her back when the summer is up. I will do my best to find a foster home for her to remove her from the orphanage permanently. I will, of course, pay for all the fees you need for her to stay as well as the school fees if she is accepted. Again, I know this is a lot to ask of you, but it is very important to us. Do call when you get this and do not feel rushed to come up with a final answer. Thank you very much for reading._

_President Yukino Chrysant."_

At first, Aishu's mind was frozen, but when she started scanning through it again, her heart began to quake, the negative voice that she had learned to ignore coming back in full force.

" _They used you. They sent you here to fix you because you were not good._ "

"No," she mumbled to herself. "They wouldn't do this to me. They would have told me if this were true. They care."

 _"Stupid girl_ ," her inner voice said. " _They don't care about you at all. The only thing they care about is making you into an Otome so that, one day, you can serve Aries. You're nothing but a pawn."_

"It's not true, not true, " she whimpered, trying to fight off the thoughts. "They do care. I know they do. I've seen it in their eyes. It's warm."

_"Don't be a fool. They're only pretending. They're only loving you as a favor to someone else, as a favor to Haruka, the President, and Aries. They are only loving you because they have to."_

"No!"

Aishu placed her hand over her once light and happy heart. Now, if felt like it had snapped in two. She was lost and confused. All that had happened over the last couple of month months…all of the kind words, all the encouragement, all the giving, all the affection, all the love…did it mean anything at all?

She looked back down at the letter.

" _Work with her. Fix her. Change her. Send her back. New foster home. Wonderful candidate. I know how you two are._ "

It was then a thought suddenly struck her. In the beginning, she was wondering why they had been so affectionate and encouraging from the start; why they never gave up on loving her.

" _They wanted to hurry up and fix me so they could get rid of me after the summer._ "

It all made sense. After all, just like she said before, who would just love a child so quickly?

She could feel wet streaks falling down her face. She hated crying, but right now, she found she couldn't stop it. She had been hurt before, but nothing, nothing like this. It felt like everything inside her had gone numb. Her whole world was crashing down.

" _They were family to you. The first real family. You loved them. You loved them so much that you never wanted to leave, but they…"_

It was the thunder from outside that broke her from her little trance. The storm had picked up quite a bit, the lightening flashing up the room every so often. Looking back at the paper, she crumbled it and dropped it on the floor.

"You're stupid, Aishu," she whispered. "You went and let your guard down, and now look at what happened. You got hurt again. Stupid, stupid, stupid!"

A small cry escaped Aishu's chest, her hand upon it. It hurt so much. She tried bringing back the feelings she had before she came down those stairs, but she couldn't do it. The warmth was gone. They had lied. They had used her. They never really cared.

Without a second thought, she ran for the door, slipping on her shoes. Quietly, she opened it, the sounds of the storms much louder now. Peering out, she saw nothing but darkness, the only light from the lightening that passed through.

" _You need to run. Run away. You can take care of yourself._ "

She wasn't in the appropriate attire to be outside, the girl wearing a short sleeve pajama top and pants, but at this point, she didn't care. She had finally thought she found something wonderful. No, she  _had_ found something wonderful. Something that had made her so happy she thought she was going to burst.

" _They said they loved me. Just today, they said they loved me, but it wasn't true after all. I was just used. They never wanted me in the first place._ "

 In thinking of those better days, the images of Natsuki and Shizuru ran through her mind, only causing the pain she was feeling to grow instead of warming her as it usually had. What she thought she had was now gone. There was nothing left. Nowhere to go, nowhere to turn to…she could only rely on herself. So, after taking one last look at the house, she stepped outside and let the darkness swallow her whole.

 


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

When Aishu left the room for the night, the two women snuggled up under the blankets and passed out. It had been an eventful day for the three of them, Natsuki's birthday including a trip to the beach. Sand castles were built, swimming took place, and at one point, they completely buried Natsuki under the sand with the exception of her head. It was an enjoyable day all around, the two falling asleep with a smile in their hearts. However, sometime during the night, Natsuki awoke, a strange feeling nagging at her chest. Figuring it was nothing, she attempted to fall back asleep. It didn't work, however, and after multiple tries, she sat up, irritability taking over in wondering why there was so much struggle.

"It's not normal for you to toss and turn like that."

Natsuki, who had been leaning back against the headboard, looked down at her wife, who had reached over to flick on a lamp.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you?"

Shizuru shook her head.

"No, I've been awake. I wasn't going to fall back asleep until I knew you did."

The brunette slid over and rested her head in Natsuki's lap, yawning a little. This got the slightly annoyed female to smile, a hand coming up to run through Shizuru's hair.

"I'm not quite sure what's wrong," Natsuki told her. "Something's nagging at me, but I don't know what."

"Hmmm, does it have anything to do with what we were speaking of before Aishu woke?"

The previous conversation flashed through her mind. Was that really bugging at her so much that is was subconsciously affecting her as well?

"That is on my mind," Natsuki replied. "I'm both excited and scared about it, but I don't think it worries me enough to keep me from sleeping."

Shizuru nuzzled into her stomach a little.

"What makes you scared?"

Natsuki thought about this for a moment, trying to figure out how to word her fears.

"I guess it's still that same worry about be not being good enough. What if I screw up somewhere while raising her? I don't want to ruin things. You play the part so much better. You're good at being, you know…"

"Motherly?"

Natsuki blushed a little at the comment.

"Well, yeah."

 "What makes you think you aren't motherly?" Shizuru asked.

"Ne, well for starters, you're so good at shopping with her. You always know what goes good with her and what she likes. You guys also have that special reading time together, and if there's an issue, you always seem to know the right thing to say and the right thing to do. When her and I are together, it's usually video games and stuff, nothing motherly."

Shizuru looked up at the other with an amusing glare.

"So, you mean to tell me because you play video games with her, you're not motherly? You guys do so much more together."

"Well, maybe, but-"

"Who does she run to first when she needs to talk about something?" Shizuru cut in. "Who's the one she pulls aside when she feels like she's struggling? Who's stayed up late with her just talking the night away, in turn helping her think things out?"

"She comes to both of us."

"Yes, but she goes to you first. You can relate to her so easily. You have a very special bond with her that you need to see. She's always coming to you for advice or questions, and look at all the love you give her. Do you see how happy she gets when she's in your arms?

Natsuki thought through all the moments she'd had with the girl, her gaze softening.

"See?" Shizuru told her. "You're so much more motherly than you know. "

Natsuki smiled at this. It seemed that she wasn't as bad as she thought she was when it came to mothering Aishu.

"Thank you, Shizuru," she whispered, the woman simply nuzzling her stomach again in reply. "You know, I love her so incredibly much. She's such an amazing kid. I really couldn't ever dream of sending her away."

"Now we won't have to," Shizuru said back. "She'll be ours. She'll be our little girl."

"Our little girl," Natsuki repeated, loving the idea. "I can't wait to tell her tomorrow."

 She still couldn't get over how fate played out. For a while, they had been speaking about adoption. Weeks later, Yukino contacted them without even knowing they were looking and right after that, Aishu fell into their hands. It was perfect.

Rubbing her eyes, Natsuki let out a small yawn. Sleepiness was finally starting to set in, and she knew she needed it badly. Perhaps it was her worried thoughts that kept her up after all. Leaning down, she kissed the woman on the cheek.

"I think I can sleep now, but I'm going to get a drink first. You know I love you, right?"

Shizuru turned her head, her own lips meeting Natsuki's in reply.

"It's something I'll never forget. Now go on, I'll actually join you in a moment. I could use a drink, too."

After one last kiss, Shizuru slipped out of the way to let Natsuki off. Heading downstairs now, the blunette entered the kitchen, flicking the light on as she did. She was about to head to the fridge when something caught her eye. Looking down, she found a crumpled up piece of paper on the floor and bent to pick it up. Unraveling it, she scanned through the words

"Everything ok?"

Shizuru was just slipping on her robe as she made her way down, eyeing what Natsuki had in her hand.

"What's that?"

"It's the letter from Yukino," Natsuki answered. "The one about Aishu. How did it get like this though? I could have sworn you left this on the-"

Her eyes suddenly got wide.

" _Oh no…"_

It was in that moment that the nagging feeling she had been having grew. She looked up at Shizuru with fear in her eyes.

"Did you…"

Shizuru shook her head, both women now thinking the same thought. If Aishu had seen that letter before the two could explain it to her, then she…

Before that thought could finish, the two ran up the stairs, racing towards the little girl's room as fast as they could.

"Aishu!"

Nothing. When they opened the door, the found the room completely empty. While Shizuru jutted back downstairs to look around, Natsuki continued through the rest of the upstairs rooms, only to find emptiness.

"Aishu! Where are you?"

"Natsuki!"

With a silent hope that her wife found the girl, she ran back downstairs. However, her hopes were diminished with the next few words.

"Natsuki," Shizuru said, clear panic in her voice. "Her shoes, they're gone."

The brunette pushed open the front door and stepped outside, Natsuki joining her seconds after. The rain had lightened up to a drizzle and the thunder and lightning had ceased, but nothing but darkness still surrounded the area.

"I'm going to call Mai and the President." Shizuru told her. "There still here from graduation. She couldn't have gone far."

"Shizuru, her bed wasn't even touched. She never went back to her room. She's been gone for hours…"

"We'll find her."

As Shizuru went to make her phone calls, Natsuki just stood there, unable to move as panic filled her entire body. She was just a little girl. A little girl in this kind of weather and lost in the city. Anything could happen to her. She could lose her. She could lose…

"Dammit, Natsuki…" she muttered to herself, tears filling her eyes. "Dammit, dammit. Aishu!"

 

* * *

 

 

She was soaked, the cold wind stinging her already frozen skin, and she couldn't stop shaking. It had felt like her entire body inside and out had become numb. Thankfully, the rain was slowing down, a mere drizzle now falling upon her.

She looked up at the night sky, droplets mixing with stray tears. She had no idea how long she'd been walking at this point, but she had to press on. Her goal was to get to the train station in hopes to take a train somewhere where no one could find her. However, in being only in the city part of Windbloom once, when Natsuki and Shizuru were bringing her to the beach house, she had no idea where it was or how to navigate around. She was quite lost, the rain not helping either, but she was adamant about leaving. In her mind, if she just kept walking, she would eventually find it.

As she continued on, she was reminded of the first day she entered the station; the very first day she met them. It was the first time an adult gave her a hug.

" _Natsuki. Shizuru._ "

She stopped walking for a moment and closed her eyes, willing herself to forget everything that had happened since her arrival. She just wanted it all to go away so it wouldn't hurt anymore.

Opening her eyes again, she wiped her face free of the salty tears that kept escaping.

" _Perhaps a break wouldn’t hurt. You've walked pretty far._ "

She was craving for somewhere to warm up, but with most places being closed at this hour, it was a hard find. It took her a good fifteen minutes or so before a place came into view, a small restaurant still open to customers. She had no money on her to buy food, but hopefully, those working would be nice enough to just let her sit for a while. Silently praying they would, she turned and headed towards the building.

" _If they were here, they'd keep you warm._ "

She winced in pain at the thought, but continued forward.

"Just for a few minutes," she mumbled to herself, reaching the door and opening it. Stepping inside, she let it close behind her, pushing some of her wet hair from her face so she could see a little better.

" _Just a few minutes, I-"_

"She's missing"

Those were the first words that caught the young girl's attention.

"She's about this tall, ten – years - old, and has brown hair and brown eyes."

Aishu froze, her eyes wide as they locked on the two women speaking these the clerk.

"We don't know if she's gotten this far, but if you see her, please inform us immediately. Thank you."

If Aishu had just been two seconds faster, she could have made it out of there without being seen, but by the time she told her body to run, the women had turned around, stopping in their tracks when they spotted her. It was the golden haired woman who spoke first.

"B-baka!" She yelled, pointing straight at Aishu. "You! What the hell are you doing running away! You're coming with us you little-"

"Haruka-chan!" Yukino started, trying to calm the woman down. Aishu shot them both an angry glare before running out of the building. She had gotten too far to get caught now.

"Oh no you don't!" Haruka called running out after her, Yukino closely behind.

Taking a turn, she shot down a street. Aishu had no clue where she was going, but she refused to let them catch her.

" _What are they even doing here?_ " She thought angrily, the girl just barely dodging a car as she zipped across the road.

"Get back here!" Haruka's voice rang across the city.

"No! Go away!"

Aishu made another turn down a less busy street.

" _I have to get away. I have to."_

Turning around, she found that she was no longer being followed, the President and Haruka nowhere in sight.

" _I think I lost them,_ " she said to herself, her body slowing to a stop. She wanted to keep going, just to be safe, but she was running out of energy. With not sleeping, and with being cold and wet, she was not physically at her best, the child already out of breath.

" _I should still keep moving though,_ " she told herself. " _I have to-_ "

"Gaaaah!"

A yell streamed across the skies. Looking up, Aishu saw a flash of green jump down from a nearby roof, the child toppled upon moments after.

"You little runt!" Haruka growled while trying to hold the struggling Aishu down. "What do you think you're doing! Stop moving!"

"Let me go!" Aishu shouted, but the woman was much stronger.

"Haruka-chan!" Yukino shouted when she found them. "Haruka-chan! Let her go!"

"Let her what? After looking for her for how long? She'll just run off again!"

"You might hurt her if you don't! Just please let her go!"

After a curse or two, and lots of struggling, a reluctant Haruka released her grip on the child and stood back up. After shooting a scowl at the Otome, Aishu proceeded to do exactly as Haruka said she would, the girl now standing with the intention of running.

"Please don't go!" Yukino pleaded. "We need to talk. Everyone's out looking for you."

Aishu ignored the comment and turned to start running off.

"Aishu please!" Yukino said again. "Just please listen-"

"Why should I?"

There were so many emotions running through the young Aishu. Loneliness, sadness, betrayal. They clung to her like a second skin, but now a new emotion was on the rise, one that made her eyes dark and her fists clench. She was angry, and she wasn't afraid to let it show.

"Why should I? She asked again, her voice quivering for a moment. "This is all your fault anyways."

The three of them were silent, Aishu's anger becoming stronger by the second.

"Aishu-"

"No!" she shouted and Yukino. "You have no right to say anything to me. This all happened because of you."

"Will you-"

" You tricked me! You were just using me! I saw the letter! I saw what you wrote!"

Yukino sighed, the woman doing her best to stay calm.

"Please listen. There was a misunderstanding."

"Shut up!"

Aishu wasn't having it.

"I saw what it said. This whole time I thought that Natsuki and Shizuru chose me, but it was you. You were behind me being sent here, and not for the reasons a child should be sent to a home. It was for your own selfish ones!"

Aishu's eyes glazed over.

"Kids are supposed to be sent to a home in hopes of finding happiness. In hopes of finding a family, but you only sent me there because you wanted me to be some stupid Otome! That's all you cared about. So, you sent me to them and told them to fix me because I wasn't good enough to serve as I was. You told them to work with me so I could be changed, and that when they were done, they could just send me back and it would be like it never happened! Did it ever occur to you that in the end, I might have grown closer to them? That perhaps I would have wanted to stay? Did it occur to you that I may have already started looking at them as family? That…that I love them?"

That was the first time she had openly spoken those words to anyone. Indeed she had started looking at them as family and loved them very much, but when she was with them, she found it too hard to say so.

"Well guess what? I do! I do see them as family! I do love them! I was happy, and I'm never that happy! I could see that they loved me, too, but you made them do that! You gave them no choice but to pretend to love me as a favor to you! You-"

_Smack!_

Aishu words were silenced, a sound echoing through the empty streets. As the noise rang, her head had shot sideways, the impact stinging her skin.

"Ha-Haruka-chan…" Yukino stuttered out.

Placing her hand on the now warm cheek, Aishu looked up to find a very angry Haruka glaring back at her.

"Baka," she hissed. "You know nothing. How could you even say that about them, after all they've done for you?"

Aishu made no reply, the shock of the slap silencing her.

"You're right," Haruka continued. "You're right. We did want you to be a future Otome, and yes, we did say that you needed to change. In knowing that, we both knew that Natsuki and Shizuru would do the best job. As much as Shizuru drives me crazy, her and Natsuki are the nicest people I know, aside from Yukino."

Yukino blushed a bit at this comment, but remained silent. It was very rare Haruka showed this side.

"So, you admit it then?" Aishu asked, her voice returning.

"I do," Haruka replied. "I saw potential in you. You were different from the other girls. You were a fighter. I could see it in your eyes. I wanted to nurture that fight you had. I wanted to make you stronger."

"Which proves all my points. You sent me to them for your own selfish reasons. You wanted me to change for your benefit."

Haruka sighed.

"Yes, we wanted you to change, but not for the reasons you think. As I said before, we wanted you to become strong, but not just strong on the outside. We wanted you stronger on the inside, too."

Aishu furrowed her brows.

"What do you mean?"

Haruka crossed her arms over her chest.

"Being an Otome isn’t just about have a strong body, but also a strong heart. That's what

you were lacking. Don’t take that offensively. We know it's not entirely your fault. We looked into your history, Aishu. We know your life hasn't been pleasant one."

            Aishu turned away at these words. There was nothing good about her past.

            "We saw that you've been in and out of different foster homes," Haruka continued. "We also learned from Ms. Fumiko that you were different from the rest of the girls in that orphanage. More quiet, more closed off. So, Yukino and I wanted to find a way to open up your heart.

            Aishu eyed them again, anger still imprinted on those dark brown orbs.

            "You pitied me."

            "No, Aishu," Haruka said back. "We worried for you, so we sent a letter to Natsuki and Shizuru with the request to take you in. I knew they'd be able to give you the support and stability needed to nurture you. Yes, we did say that they could send you back once the summer was up, but there's more to it. More than a letter could say, that's why we told them to call when they received it. When they did, Yukino explained the rest of the plan, that not only did we want you as a possible future Otome, but we wanted you to have a family, too."

            A look of shocked flashed on Aishu's face.

            "Wh-what? What makes you think I even wanted a family at the time? I wasn't looking for one, and when I found out I was to go, I didn’t have any intention of liking them or staying with them. What made you think I’d change?"

The woman snickered.

"I knew you'd warm up because you're so much like that damn Natsuki when she was young. I knew Shizuru would be all over you like you were a new puppy, and that Natsuki would be able to relate to you and help you when you were having trouble. The change we wanted you to go through was the realization that you were not alone. That family was possible."

"F-family? You wanted me to have a family?"

"We're not cold-hearted, Aishu." Yukino had stepped out and stood by Haruka now. "If we could find good homes for all orphans, we would, but that's not always possible. However, if we could help and change the life of at least one child, then we would do everything in our power to do so. We wanted to offer you a chance to escape that place, a chance to learn of family, a chance to become an Otome if you wanted to. We just wanted to give you a chance."

Aishu sniffled a little bit, eyes cast to the ground. From the beginning, they wanted to help her? They had personally known the two and placed her there knowing she would be safe. They wanted her to find a family in them.

"Did you also know," Yukino continued. "That during the time they received that letter, they were already looking to foster a child in hopes of adoption? We didn't know this at first, but we were happy when we found out. They were eager to take you in as soon as it was possible."

"They…they were?"

"Aishu," Yukino knelt to the young girl's height. "They love you, so much more than you know. They've been sending letters of your progress and have said many wonderful things about you. We were over-joyed to hear things were working out. They adore you greatly and want nothing more than for you to feel happy, safe, and loved, which is why they called us the moment they realized you were missing. They've been out for the last hour or so looking for you. Them, us, and others, too. They're scared. They don't want anything terrible to happen to you. Yes, they're taking this as calmly as they can, but we all know they're a wreck on the inside."

"Looking f-for me?"

She had been wrong about everything. She was loved. So incredibly loved, and now they were doing everything they could to find her. They never planned to hurt her from the start. They wanted a child. They wanted her. She could have a family.

" _Look at what I've done though. I ruined everything because I assumed the wrong things. Will they even want me after this?_ "

These thoughts were now floating in her mind, regret flooding her, and she went to speak them, but before she could, dizziness took over. She suddenly didn't feel right, eventually staggering forward a bit when she tried to move.

"Aishu, are you all right?" Yukino asked.

She half caught Aishu when she staggered, and in fully taking on the state the child was in, she placed her hand on her forehead.

"Haruka-chan!" she said with panic in her voice. "She's burning up!"

The voices began to fade slightly, her vision going fuzzy. Her body became weak, and after a few moments, everything went black.

 


	10. Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

"Where did you find her?"

It was around three in the morning, the search party now gathered together in Garderobe's infirmary, watching the child as she slept. Natsuki and Shizuru, of course, were right by her side.

"She was near a small restaurant in the middle of the city," Yukino answered. "I'm surprised she got as far as she did, and in this weather. "

"I want to thank you for finding her and bringing her back," Shizuru told her. "Both of you. If we had lost her for good…"

"I appreciate the thanks, but if there's anyone here who deserves it, it's Haruka-chan. She was the one who got the girl to actually listen."

"That little twerp thought she knew it all," Haruka said with a bit of anger. "All she did was talk, talk, talk. Someone had to make her listen."

"Our original intentions were to bring her back to you, but with her condition, we brought her here because it was close by," Yukino added. "We phoned Youko-sensei before arriving."

"Which was perfect timing," Youko piped in while standing by the bed and taking notes. "I'm usually not around this late, but there was some research I needed to do. I'm glad you brought her in."

"We thank you for it," Yukino said. "I hope she feels well soon. Knowing she's here, I can sleep a little more soundly, so for now, we take our leave. We'll return later in the morning to see how things are."

"Thank you, Yukino," Shizuru said again. "Thank you both. We very much appreciate the effort you put in to this."

Haruka merely nodded.

"It was never a problem," Yukino replied with a smile. "Thank you for letting us stay here. We will show ourselves to the guest room. Please do inform us if there are any changes."

"We will," Shizuru said back.

"Thank you." With a final bow, she turned and followed Haruka out the door.

After they had left, Shizuru walked to the other side of the bed and stood behind a very worried Natsuki, who had been quiet the whole time. She snaked her arms around the woman's waist, pulling her close and resting her chin on her shoulder.

"She must have been out there for a while," said a voice.

Over on the next bed was a red-headed female, a very cat like woman sleeping on her lap.

"I didn't even bother checking this far into Windbloom right away," Mai continued. "I honestly didn't think she'd walk this far."

"She must have really wanted to get away from us," Natsuki finally spoke.

"Natsuki," Shizuru said softly, nuzzling the woman's cheek comfortingly.

Reaching out, the blunette placed her hand on Aishu's arm.

"She's so cold, and she's shaking."

"She's still running a fever," Youko told them while feeling Aishu's forehead. "She might be for a while. She was completely drenched when brought in, and she was shaking a lot worst. We wasted no time in putting on dry clothing, but the chills haven't seemed to fade."

When Youko finished jotting some more notes, she placed the clipboard on a nearby table.

"There's nothing more that can be done at the moment, so I must take off as well. I'll be

monitoring her while I am down at the research room. There are a few things I must finish up."

She smiled up at them.

"Don't worry though. She'll be fine. She just needs lots of rest. I'll be back in a few

hours."

"Thank you," Shizuru told her.

Youko then left the room, the rest of them sitting quietly for a moment.

"You know, when she first came here, I had no idea how close we would end up getting," Natsuki said, breaking the silence. "I've never worried so much for a child as I do her, nor felt this type of bond before."

"It's what happens when instincts take over," Mai told her.

"I didn't think I had the instincts, especially in the beginning. She was so hard to get through to."

"She was," Shizuru said with a giggle. "She was always trying to stay away from us, but we knew how to get her. It was especially fun getting her all worked up over a hug."

A warm look appeared on her face as she continued to speak.

"I remember the day she first gave me a hug on her own. I was so happy and so proud. It was thanks to Mai-chan that she was finally able to do it herself."

Mai smiled at this, but shook her head.

"I didn't do much. She was already upset in thinking she was no longer going to receive hugs by the time I sat down with her. An idiot I believe she called herself. All I did was listen to her and give her advice on what course she could take if she wanted to fix things. Though uncertain, she agreed to them all on her own. Not much pushing was needed."

"You may not think you did much, but you must have to her," Natsuki said back, remembering that day as well. "She changed quite a bit after that. I was happy to see it no matter how slowly it came. Soon enough, she didn't get so worked up over hugs and kisses and sometimes snuggles. She relaxed more and was just a kid, a happy kid. Somewhere during these months though, even if was never really spoken aloud, she became ours."

"She  _is_  ours," Shizuru told her. "We're going to adopt her. She'll have two mothers, and we will have a beautiful daughter."

"What if she doesn't like the idea? What if she wakes up and hates us? What if she's not ready? What if she thinks we're pushing? What if-"

"Is there ever a moment in your life when you don't worry needlessly?" Mai asked with a smirk.

Shizuru had to snicker at this comment, Natsuki blushing slightly.

"Well, I-"

"Oh, shush you, " Mai cut in. "She's not going to hate you. From the story Yukino and Haruka told us, her feelings are far from hate. She wants to be with you."

Suddenly, mid-conversation, they heard what sounded like a small cry. They all looked down to find Aishu moving in her sleep, her eyes furrowed as she mumbled something inaudible.

"She's restless," Natsuki said sadly. "She can't even find peace in her dreams."

Aishu silenced for a moment, but a few seconds later, she began mumbling again, this time her words a little more clear.

"Natsuki….Shi…zuru…"

This brought tears to the blunette's eyes. Breaking from her wife's hold, Natsuki leaned her face in close to Aishu's, kissing her gently on the cheek.

"We're here, love," she whispered. "We're here."

Shizuru chose this moment to walk to the other side of the bed. Lifting the covers, she slipped in with the child, holding her tight.

"She's still so cold."

Natsuki wasted no time copying Shizuru, the woman slipping in on the other side and wrapping her arms around Aishu protectively.

"Natsuki. Shizuru."

"We're not going anywhere," Shizuru whispered. "You're safe. You're ours now."

After a good few minutes of comforting the girl, Aishu finally relaxed, her mumbling coming to a stop as a peaceful look fell upon her face.

"You look good together," Mai told them, smiling at the sight. "She belongs in your family. You guys were met for each other. I think she'll love waking and hearing that she'll be adopted by you."

Natsuki held the girl a little closer, silently praying the chills would soon go that way. Shizuru followed suit and leaned in so close to Aishu that their heads were almost touching.

"You know," Mai said. "If either of you wish to sleep, let me know. I'm going to be up for a while anyways. I will happily keep an eye on things."

"Thank you," Natsuki told her, but sleeping was the last thing she could do right now. She just wanted her girl to feel safe, to feel warm. She wanted her to know she was loved.

"Sleep peacefully, my little Ai-chan." Shizuru whispered. "You have nothing to fear. We'll watch over you, so just sleep."

 

* * *

 

 

_"That smell. Lavender. Roses. It's so…"_

"Natsuki. Shi-Shizuru."

"We're here love. We're here."

_"That warmth. So familiar. I know it."_

"Natsuki. Shizuru."

"We're not going anywhere. You're safe now. You're ours."

_"Natsuki…Shizuru…"_

Aishu gasped and sat up, breathing heavily as she did. The remnants of the dream she had floated inside her mind, the scents and the feelings still surrounding her. For a dream, it was quite vivid.

"Ouch."

 Bringing her hand up, she rubbed the side of her head, a headache suddenly forming. In fact, it wasn't only her head that hurt, but her body, too, noticing it felt achy and tired as she attempted to shift in bed.

" _In bed?_ "

Indeed she was in bed, and in new night clothing as well. Looking up now, she peered around the somewhat familiar room, eyes squinting as they slowly became adjusted to the light.

"Where am I?"

"You're at Garderobe."

Aishu jumped at the sound of the voice. Turning to the side, she spotted a face she recognized.

"M-Mai?"

Mai shot her a smile and reached out, placing her hand on the child's head gently.

"Good, it hasn't come back. I was hoping it wouldn't. You had us all worried for quite a while."

"W-worried?" She asked, clearly confused thanks to her immense grogginess. "Why worried?"

"Why? You've been here since at least 3:00 this morning with a fever, and it only broke a few hours ago. You had a good case of the chills too for a long time, too, but those seem to have subsided as well. Your color has also come back."

Aishu rubbed her eyes, trying to rub some sleep away as she tried processing what the other was saying. None of it made much sense, things not quite connecting in her early wake up stage.

"In Garderobe? What happened?"

"You don't remember?" Mai asked, looking a little concerned at this. "I know that storm did a number on you, but…"

"Storm…"

Almost instantly, a light flickered on in her mind, memories of the previous incident now becoming much clearer. There was the letter that made her think she was wanted merely to be fixed for Otome purposes, and upon reading it, she had run away. The storm she treaded though was bad and had left her wet and cold. Then she ran into Yukino and Haruka.

"Since this morning…what time is it now?"

"It's a little after ten at night," Mai answered. "In the middle of talking to Yukino and Haruka, you passed out, probably from having such a high fever. They brought you here, and you've been out ever since."

She passed out? That long? She could hardly remember doing so.

"Youko-sensei, the Chief medical doctor you met during your visit here, has been taking care of and keeping an eye on you. I've been here since you arrived and the President and Haruka have been checking on you periodically. Up until recently, Natsuki and Shizuru were here, too."

At hearing those names, the pain, confusion, the guilt, and other emotions, burst inside her chest. She ran away because she thought they really didn't love or want her when, in reality, it was the complete opposite. If she had just trusted them to begin with.

Aishu hid her face inside of her hands, letting out a sigh as she did so.

"Oh no, what have I done?"

"Right now, there's no need to worry. You're here and you're safe, and that's all the matters. What's done is done."

"You don't understand," Aishu said back. "I screwed up. I really screwed up. I always do. I ran away and caused people so many problems. With Natsuki and Shizuru, I've been a problem for them from the start. They probably hate me now, don't they? I-"

Before Aishu got a chance to finish her sentence, she felt a smack upside her already hurting head.

"H-hey!" Aishu snapped, rubbing at the sore spot. "What was that for?"

"Baka. It's for thinking that way," Mai replied. "They don't hate you. They never could."

"Ok, maybe not hate, but they're probably really, really mad at me. I made a mess of everything and I-"

_Smack!_

Aishu rubbed the same spot on her head.

"What now? I can't assume they're mad at me? Look at the trouble I caused."

"No," Mai answered simply. "You can't. You're not allowed to assume anything unless you know every single little fact.  _Assuming_  is what started this whole thing in the first place. Granted, any child with a similar background such as yours could have easily made the same assumption upon seeing that letter, however, instead of assuming the worst, you could have gone to them and asked what it was all about."

Aishu stared up at Mai, eyes saddening a little. Yes, she  _could_  have just gone and asked. It would have been the easy and right thing to do. Yet instead of doing so, instead of trusting the people who gave her nothing but love, she reverted back to her old self and did what she did best when she wanted to avoid a problem and ran.

"I guess I could have, but…"

"You were scared. I know, and it's understandable. It's a hard thing to trust others after spending a life with other people who broke it. However, there does come a time in life when you have to let go of the past and understand that not everyone in the world is out there to hurt you."

She knew Mai was right about that, too. She couldn't remember when, but at some point in her life, she regarded all adults as bad people. She told herself they could never be trusted, and for the most part, with the adults she got placed with, she really couldn't. Then Natsuki and Shizuru came along, proving her normal thought process wrong.

With these two now in mind, she brought her knees to her chest and looked at the other woman questioningly.

"Ne, you said until recently, they were here. Where are they now? _"_

"Sleeping," Mai answered. "They've been up since you went missing. Between them and myself, we've been taking shifts to help keep an eye on you."

"Wh-what? You guys have? I caused trouble for everyone, and in return, you do this? I don't get it. Shouldn't you guys be angry? Wouldn't you all want to be away from me? Shouldn't you all-"

_Smack!_

"Mai," Aishu grumbled, rubbing her head yet again, clear frustration in her voice. "What the hell did I do now?'

"You're over-worrying! That's what you're doing! There's no need to worry about that when I've already told you that you don't have to. I swear, you are just as bad as that Natsuki. Look, we took care of you because we wanted to. You seem to be under the impression that when someone does so, you are being a burden, but that's not the case at all. There's no need to feel sorry or to feel like you're in the way when someone cares for you. Instead of apologizing, you should just try and accept it by saying thank you instead. It goes a long way you know."

Aishu felt very guilty upon hearing this statement. It was true. She had always had a bad habit of either getting angry, feeling uncomfortable, or feeling like a burden every time someone had tried to care for her. She thought she needed to be able to take care of herself all the time, and because of this, she never let anyone help her.

"This may come as a surprise to you, but there are people in this world, myself included, who really do care about you and love you for you. I can think of two very special people who love you more than life itself and want nothing more than to love on you for the rest of your life. You just have seem to have some trouble letting them in."

Mai was on point with everything. Yes, she had made quite some progress from her early time with the two women, but even then, there were things she was afraid to say or do. Right when her heart was just on edge to really let her feelings out; it would retreat back in fear of getting hurt again, leaving herself always in struggle with her emotions.

"You just have to stop hiding and running away every time someone wants to show you a little love. Ai-chan, especially with them, you have nothing to be afraid of. I have never seen those two love a little girl so much in my life, and not only do they want to say it, but they want to show it, too. It's not scary, I promise, but if you start feeling scared, just take a deep breath and let it happen. You'll see how easy it is and how easier it becomes over time. You just need to realize, and I mean really realize, that it's okay to be loved and cared for by other people. You're not alone."

Aishu sat quietly after Mai's little speech, taking in everything she said. Her words were truth, and after all this time, Natsuki and Shizuru did nothing but love on her and make her happy. Naturally, it should lead her to believe she was safe and that she could trust, but old habits, she supposed, died hard, for her defense system always seemed to kick in.

"You're right," she said softly. "I know. I know I just need to give them and everything they do a chance, and I've been trying really hard, but I guess my habits are a little hard to break. I've spent forever taking care of myself that I forgot how to let others do it. After a while, I became afraid of it. I'm always afraid. Ne, here I was thinking I was strong and tough for being able to carry my own weight, but really, I'm nothing more than a coward."

Mai reached over and tucked a piece of Aishu's hair behind her ear.

"You're not a coward. You've just never known what it's like, and now you have that chance. It's been given to you, so you need to hold on as tight as you can. They love you Aishu, they really do."

Aishu couldn't help but smile at this thought.

"They do…"

"Hell, they loved you so much they didn't want to leave your side. " Mai said, leaning back in her chair and placing her hands behind her head. "When I said taking shifts, it was more like they'd leave to use the bathroom or to eat then come right back. They really didn't want to leave you. In fact, when you first got here, they climbed into bed with you for a while because you looked like you were having a restless sleep. You also called out their names."

With a sense of embarrassment taking over, a blush grew on the little girl's face.

"I called for them? In my sleep?"

"Mhm!" She replied with a giggle. "You did! It was the cutest thing. They wanted to comfort you and keep you warm, so they just held you, and after a while, you calmed down. You would still call out their names every so often, but they would just continue snuggling you and telling you that they were right there by your side. It seems that even when you can't admit it to yourself, your heart knows what it wants, and it will call out for the people who make you feel happy and safe. It will call out for the people you need the most."

Aishu's eyes became glazed over slightly in thinking about this, the thought warming her heart. She had yearned for them, always wanting them nearby and wanting to be with them even when she could never bring herself to show or admit it. They made her feel extremely safe, a feeling she had never felt so much in her life. She was the happiest with them. How could she have ever thought about running away?

"Um, Mai? You said they were sleeping?"

"They are. I kicked them out a couple of hours ago to finally get some sleep. Told them they couldn't very well take care of you if they exhausted and killed themselves in the process."

Aishu furrowed her brows in thought. There was a question she wanted to ask, but she wasn't sure if it was okay to. Everything inside of her was telling her to do it, her skin crying for their warmth.

"You know, if we move quickly enough, we can get there before Youko-sensei comes back."

Aishu broke from her little daze, looking at the older woman with a little confusion. Mai simply winked back, holding out her hand. How did Mai know exactly what she was going to ask? Was this a good idea? What if the other two were too tired to see her right now? What if they-

"Okay."

Aishu didn't even let herself finish that thought. She didn't care. She wanted to be with them, and she knew in her heart that they wanted her, too. There was no need for the worries this time. She no longer wanted to run, and if she did, it would be towards them.

"Mai-chan, please. I really want them."

Mai nodded, a smile on her face. She knew Youko didn't want her to move, but she wouldn't keep them apart any longer than she had to. So, taking Aishu's hand in her own, she helped the girl up and out of the room.

"We need to be quiet," she whispered. "It won't take long to get there."

Aishu nodded, butterflies fluttering in her stomach, but she ignored them, too. All nerves were blocked by the need for them nearby, and after a few more minutes of walking, she found herself standing in front of their door.

"Here we go," Mai said when they arrived. "Are you going to wake them up?"

Aishu shook her head.

"If they've been up as long as you say they have, then they should sleep. Instead, I'll crawl into bed and sleep with them. They'll see me in the morning. They deserve some sleep after what they've done for me. Thank you, Mai-chan. Thank you for helping, too."

She snuck a hug to the older girl, Mai blushing slightly and hugging right back in return.

"You're welcome. They're going to be so excited to wake up and see you. Good luck, Ai-chan. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Night," she whispered back, pulling away, and soon after, she opened the door and disappeared inside. Upon entering the room, she made her way straight to the door that led to their living quarters. When she got there, it didn't take her long to find their bedroom, Natsuki's snores leading the way. No matter how much the woman denied it, she did indeed snore.

Quietly opening the door, she snuck in and closed it behind her. Lucky for her it hadn't been completely dark thanks to the light that came from the full moon peeking through their window. She then tip-toed across the floor and to the end of their bed, the two completely passed out. Glancing in, she spotted an opening right between them, wasting no time in crawling up. She froze for a moment when she saw Shizuru move, but was relieved and continued on when she didn't wake. After reaching the top and sneaking under the blankets, Aishu carefully laid on her back and let out a quiet sigh.

" _You're here…._ "

If she didn't feel very safe before, she did now with being nestled between the two. Looking on either side, they were both facing her, Natsuki still snoring. Yes…she was safe.

She let out a small yawn. She could already feel her eyes drooping. With her body feeling the way it was, which was still not so great at all, she was tired, and before any more passing thoughts could reach her mind, her eyes shut, and she was sound asleep.

 

**Author's Note: This is the second to the last chapter!!! One more to go and then book two, Coral Year, will be worked on. Thanks to those who read and I hope it is enjoyable!**

 


	11. Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

"How long can those guys sleep?"

It was quarter past eleven, and though most of the world was already up and about, Natsuki, Shizuru, and Aishu were still sound asleep. Outside of their door were four figures, the group waiting patiently for the trio to wake up. They didn't want to miss the moment where the big news came out.

"Are they ever going to wake up?" Mikoto asked, head on Mai's lap.

The woman smiled, ruffling the girl's black hair.

"I'm sure they will. Natsuki and Shizuru were up for a long time, and Aishu is probably still a little sick, so sleep is good."

"Well they better hurry up! I don't want to be waiting here all day!"

"Their rest is important though, Haruka-chan," Yukino told the grumpy blonde. "They’ve been through a lot."

"Yeah, well if that girl hadn't run away in the first place, then they wouldn’t be this exhausted," Haruka mumbled.

Yukino smiled in turn.

"It's okay, Haruka-chan," she told her. "I'm sure they will wake soon."

Despite her Otome's angry comments, she knew that she was just as curious and excited as every else for the upcoming event.

Rolling onto her side, Mikoto wrapped her arms around Mai's waist, nuzzling her face into her tummy.

"I don't want Ai-chan to leave. What do you think she'll say?"

"She better say yes with all the trouble she's caused!" Haruka snapped. "If she doesn't, I swear I'll-"

"Ne, ne, Ms. President," Mai said to the brunette. "You should tell Haruka to have more faith, and to stop being so loud."

"B-Baka!"

"There!"

Mid Haruka's mini fit, Mikoto shot from her spot and leaned against the door, pressing her ear against it.

"What?" Mai asked.

"I can hear them!" Mikoto whispered excitedly. "I can hear moving!"

The other three leaned in towards the door and, sure enough, noises could be heard.

"Nyaaaaa…"

A still sleepy young brunette had begun to wake up, a strange little itch on her face the cause of it. She reached up to scratch at it and it immediately stopped. Once it was gone, she curled back up, wanting some more sleep, but of course, that didn't happen. Seconds after she got rid of the feeling, the itch came back. Instead of scratching it again, however, she opened her eyes, her groggy gaze slowly becoming clearer by the second. What woke her up finally was the sudden realization of two things. One, the itch on her face was due to a finger scratching at her cheek, and two, from the moment she opened her eyes, a deep pair of crimson ones were locked with her own.

"Shizuru?"

Aishu went to go sit up, but before she got the chance to, Shizuru had pulled in her close, wrapping her arms around her and snuggling her tight. She wasn't prepared for this action, but she should have been seeing as it was Shizuru. The warmth she felt was very inviting, but a pang of guilt also swam inside of her.

"Shizu-chan?"

Nothing. Shizuru made no movement and no noise.

"Shizuru?"

Still nothing.

"Shizu-chan. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for running and for causing trouble and for-"

"Shhhh."

Another thing the child wasn't expecting. She wanted to apologize for what she had done, but the other wasn't letting her do so.

"B-but Shizu-chan, I-"

"Shhhh," Shizuru said again, hugging the girl a little tighter.

Was she being serious? After all the things Aishu did, all Shizuru wanted to do was snuggle her?

" _It's because they're not mad, remember?_ " She told herself. " _Mai said they didn't hate me and that they weren't mad. They were only..._ "

"I was so worried."

Shizuru finally spoke, her voice quivering slightly as her hand gently scratched at the girl's back. A soft kiss accompanied that scratch, the girl sinking deeper into Shizuru's warmth. Aishu had missed this tremendously. In thinking she had lost it made her realize how precious it was, how precious they were.

"How are you feeling? I was really, really hoping you would be okay. "

"I'm all right," Aishu said back, feeling guiltier by the minute. Shizuru's words had been calming and soft, but she could hear the hint of sadness behind them. She really had been worried sick for her.

"Shizu-chan, please," Aishu pleaded, not wanting the woman to cut her off again. "Please, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything. I didn't mean to make you guys worry, and I didn't mean to-"

"You have nothing to be sorry for."

Shizuru pulled away slightly, resting her forehead on Aishu's own while looking her in the eyes.

"Absolutely nothing. You're here in my arms and you're safe. That is all I wanted. Don't be sorry."

" _Don't be sorry?_ "

Aishu's eyes welled up a little. Maybe Mai was right. They weren't at all mad in the slightest. They just wanted her to be okay, and in times like this, instead of saying I'm sorry…

Aishu reached up and wrapped her arms around Shizuru's neck, hugging her and hiding her face in the woman's hair, the lavender scent a familiar friend.

"Thank you," she whispered. "Mai-chan told me you and Natsu-chan have been with me until she kicked you guys out, and that you snuggled with me when I called for you in my sleep. You took care of me. Thank you."

She felt Shizuru's arms wrap tightly around her, a single tear falling down the woman's cheek.

"Oh, my little Ai-chan," she said with a smile. "You are more than welcome. How could we ever not care for you?"

Pulling away again, Shizuru kissed the girl's cheek before winking and nodding over to the still sleeping blunette.

"I think it's time to wake her up, don't you think?"

Aishu looked behind her to the sleeping Natsuki and smiled, nodding her head.

"I'm surprised she didn't wake," Aishu commented. "She really does sleep like a log, doesn't she?"

"Always dead to the world," Shizuru giggled.

Crawling over, Aishu sat by Natsuki's head.

"Natsu-chan," she whispered, shaking her gently, but the woman didn't budge.

"Naaaaatssssssuuuukiii-chaaaaan."

Nothing again, the blunette still not moving. It was then Shizuru crawled over and whispered something in the girl's ear, a smirk appearing on Aishu's face moments after.

"Trust me," the brunette told her. "It'll work."

With that in mind, Aishu leaned over Natsuki's head, and when she was close enough, she blew into her ear.

"Aie!"

Within half a second, Natsuki shot from the bed, falling right out and hitting the floor with a thud. In slight shock, Aishu dove under the blankets and hid.

"Dammit, Shizuru…"

Natsuki sat up, rubbing the side of her head as she shot an annoying glare towards her other half.

"Why the hell do you like waking me that way?"

Shizuru was laughing at the sight of this. She knew it would work, and the reaction never got old.

"Ara! As much as I like to tease my Natsuki, it wasn't me who did it this time."

She then pointed to the little lump in the bed. Curiously, Natsuki crawled to the edge and lifted the covers, peeking in to find a little Aishu staring back at her.

….

"Ai-chan!"

The covers were torn right off and Natsuki attacked the girl with a warm, strong hug.

"Ai-chan I'm so glad you're okay! I've been worrying like crazy! We both have!"

"Natsuki…"

You scared us pretty bad when we arrived to find you soaked with a fever, but you're okay! You look a lot better!"

"Um, Natsuki-"

"I'm sorry we weren't there when you woke up. We wanted to be, I swear it, but Mai kicked us out because we were there for so long and-"

"Natsuki!"

"Oh, hmm?"

"Ne, I'm really happy to see you, too, both of you, but I can't breathe."

It was then Natsuki realized that she was half way on top of Aishu, clinging to her with a death grip.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!"

She got right up, allowing Aishu to do so, too.

"Don't be," Aishu said with a sheepish grin. "I'm all right, but I think I'll let Shizuru wake you up like that from now on so I don't get squished."

Natsuki gave her a half smile, tears now welling up in her emerald greens.

"When did you get here?"

"Late last night," the girl answered, now crawling to the top of the bed. She settled and rested her back against the head board. "Mai-chan helped me sneak up here."

Natsuki snickered at this.

"Sounds about right. Remind me to thank her later. How are you feeling, now?"

At this point, the two women were now sitting on either side of Aishu, Natsuki's hand pressed gently against the girl's forehead.

"It looks like your fever hasn't come back."

"I'm okay, I promise," Aishu answered. "I'm just really tired to be honest, which is really weird seeing as I've been doing nothing but sleep."

"It's what being sick does," Shizuru said back. "Sleep is important when you're not feeling good, so you need all the rest you can get. Chills are gone for good, too?"

"Mhm. I promise."

"You really had us worried," Natsuki said. "You were a mess by the time we got to you."

Looking down, she nodded her head.

"Yeah, Mai-chan told me what happened. I know you told me not to say this, Shizu-chan, but I'm really sorry. I'm sorry I worried you guys. I assumed stupid things and did what I always do when I get scared. It would have been easier and smarter to go to you both first."

"Don't worry about it," Shizuru told her. "It doesn't matter now."

"It does matter," Aishu sad back. "How could I have assumed those things when all you've ever done is take care of me and such. It wasn't right."

"We should have explained the letter to you sooner," Natsuki said back. "We only held off because we wanted you to get to know us first. We wanted you to understand and learn that we weren't taking you in and caring for you because we were asked to or because we had to, but because we wanted to. You already had our hearts the day we met you, and the more time that was spent together, the more we fell in love with you."

Aishu blushed upon hearing those words.

"You did?"

"Of course," the blunette answered, squeezing the girls arm gently. "Shizuru and I love you very much."

Aishu's heart jumped and skipped a beat, her chest warming immensely, and the words she had kept locked up for a long time now ached to come out.

" _I can do it. Just be brave._ "

After a few more moments, she took a deep breath and finally spoke.

"I-I love you guys, too!" Those words felt foreign on her mouth, tears forming as she told them this. While she had admitted this in Haruka's and Yukino's presence, she had yet to say it to her guardians' face to face. She had wanted to say this to them for a long time but was just too nervous to do so. Now…

"I mean it, I really do. I'm just not very good at showing it. However, I want to get good at it. I want to stop worrying so much about getting hurt. I want to be able to have those moments where I can just snuggle up and feel safe. I don’t want to be afraid anymore. I love being with you guys. I love you."

They all sat there in silence for a moment. Aishu had never been that open before, her stomach now in knots from doing so. The silence wasn't helping either.

"Well," Natsuki finally said. "I guess we really didn't need to worry about that after all."

"Wait," said a very confused Aishu. "What?"

"I told you," Shizuru said winking. "There was never a need for worry."

"What are you guys talking about?"

The brunette giggled, leaning in close so her forehead was touching Aishu's. Winking again, she nodded to an object in front of them.

"You see the bureau over there?" She asked. "Go on over and you'll find and envelope on it. Bring it back here right after."

"Envelope? What's in it?"

"You'll see. Can you get it?"

Although confused, Aishu did as she was told. Getting up, she walked over to the bureau, grabbed the item, and made her way back to the bed, sitting right in the middle of it.

"Here," she said, handing it to Shizuru.

The woman merely held her hands up and shook her head.

"Nope. It's not for me. It's for you."

"For me?" she asked, her confusion growing by the second. "Why for me?"

"Open it and you'll see." Natsuki told her. "Haruka and the President gave this to us the day you visited Garderobe, but it's really yours."

With curiosity now getting at her, she turned the envelope over, the Aries seal on the flap.  Opening it up, she took out the few sheets of paper that resided inside. Unfolding them, she glanced at the first page.

"W-wait a second." Aishu's eyes began to widen as she looked over the words. "No way. I, are these-"

"Ara, so you do know what they are," Shizuru said, voice warm. "Can you tell us?"

Oh yes, Aishu knew exactly what they were, and as she glanced over them, time itself seemed to stop. She was in shock. Now, previous events and words exchanged should have easily given this way, but Aishu just never thought of it happening. She never thought she would see this type of paperwork with her name on it. She tried to answer them, opening her mouth to do so, but could not find the words, streams of tears replacing them.

"What are they?" Natsuki asked softly.

The two women had now crawled closer to the girl. Looking up, Aishu saw the two looking back with love, making the tears fall even more.

"P-papers, " she managed to stutter out. "They're papers. A-adoption p-papers."

For some reason, when Aishu said those words, something broke inside of her. Something changed. Dropping the papers, she covered her eyes with her hands and cried, really cried. She cried out everything that she had held back for years. She cried out every bit of pain that was left inside of her. She cried in realization that someone really loved her. She cried in knowing she was wanted.

"You w-want to adopt me?" She finally said, wiping away some tears.

"We want nothing more than to have you be part of our lives, part of our family, forever." Shizuru replied while wiping some of those tears away. "Of course we want you. Do you really think we can just give you back when summer's over?"

"We love you, too much," Natsuki continued, her fingers playing with Aishu's hair. "Too much to ever let you go, and we will love you that much and more forever. All we have to do is get these signed by Yukino, and you'll officially be ours. What do you say? Will you be our little girl?"

Aishu's words disappeared again. Their little girl? She would be someone's daughter? She'd have a Mother, two of them, and she'd have a family. She, the one who gave up a long time ago, would have a family.

"Say yes already!"

Haruka's voice rang through the room from behind their door, the three of them bursting out into giggles once the initial shock of having eavesdroppers wore off. After, Aishu looked up at the two women, her gaze returning the love theirs showed.

"Yes," she said softly. "Yes."

The smiles Natsuki and Shizuru sported grew upon these words, their eyes shining with happiness and excitement.

"Ai-chan!" Natsuki giggled, the two now hugging her tightly.

"Our little, Ai-chan," Shizuru whispered.

"Nyaa!"

It was then their bedroom door shot open, Mai walking in closely followed by Mikoto, who, well, wasn't exactly walking.

"Ai-chan!"

At full speed, she launched on the bed, finding Aishu in the pile of bodies and hugging her excitedly.

"Ai-chan doesn't have to leave now!"

"No, Mikoto-chan," she said with a giggle. "I'm not going anywhere."

"We're you guys listening the whole time?" Natsuki asked.

"Of course!" Mai said with a smirk. "I wasn't going to wait any longer for you slowpokes to come out, so we all came up ourselves."

"Slowpoke is an understatement," said Haruka, the woman and Yukino both standing at the end of the bed. "You all were slower than slow."

Glancing over at Mai, Aishu shot her a smile before letting go of Mikoto and greeting the red-head with a warm hug.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"I'm so happy for you," Mai said back, hugging her tight.

"Now don’t go causing any more trouble!" Haruka told her.

"Haruka-chan, I think she'll be okay." Yukino said.

"She better be. I don't want to be called in the middle of the night to go searching for her again all because she-woah, hey!"

Mid rant, Aishu went over and gave Haruka a tight hug, the golden haired female taken off guard.

"I want to thank you, too. You and the President. You helped me so much. It's because of you two that I'm with them in the first place. You gave me a home."

Yukino teared up a little herself.

"Of course, Ai-chan. I am glad we could help you."

Haruka, who was a blushing mess, simply pulled back from Aishu and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Y-yeah, well. You better thank us. Like I said before, you've got guts, so you better get stronger."

Aishu giggled and nodded.

"I will."

After that, she dashed back to the bed and snuggled between the two women. Curious, she decided to try out the new title she'd be using.

"M-mom," she stuttered as she grabbed Natsuki's hand. She then did the same to Shizuru. "Mama."

The two women couldn't help but smile, each placing a kiss on the girl's head. They loved the sound of the new words.

"That's right," Natsuki told her. "You're our daughter now. All ours."

Silence ensued for a few minutes, tender moments passing between the three. It probably would have gone on much longer, but then, out of nowhere, the silence was broken by a very loud noise. The source of this sound? A puppy-eyed Mikoto holding her tummy on the bed,

"Mai, I'm hungry."

Now they all started laughing at this, Mikoto blushing a little.

"Come to think of it, I'm pretty hungry, too," Aishu said.

"Well, I did have plans of making lunch in the kitchen as a celebration," Mai told them.

"We should go start!"

"Sounds good to me," Natsuki replied. The trio got up from the bed and followed the other four out of the room, however, just before leaving, Aishu stopped, turning around and looking back into the bedroom. Reaching her hand up, she placed it on her chest, a smile on her face. It was warm again. Everything else was gone. All the sadness, the worry, the pain, everything.

"You all right?"

Both Natsuki and Shizuru peeked back in to check on her. The girl, in return, just looked back up with a smile.

"Yes," she answered. "Definitely. I'm more than all right."

Reaching out, she slipped her hand into Shizuru's, the other into Natsuki's, and the three walked together down the hall.

"Come to think of it, I can't remember the last time I ate," Aishu commented. "Whatever it is, I hope there is mayo involved."

At that comment, the two women stopped in their tracks.

"What?" The younger girl asked.

Shizuru just stood there shaking her head and muttering what sounded like "not another one" while Natsuki proudly ruffled Aishu's hair.

"That's my girl!"

For once in her life, Aishu was happy. Really happy. Every bad thing that had happened to her was a thing of the past now, and worrying was something she wouldn't need to do any longer. No more running, no more fear. She was safe, safe and loved by two of the greatest women she had ever met, and now she could keep them forever. Finally, she had a family. In knowing this, she smiled, knowing this was only the first day of what would be a great adventure.

 

 

**Author's Note: This is the end of book one my friends! Thanks to all of the readers. I appreciate the time you have taken to read. You're the best! Book two, Coral Year, is on the way. The prologue is already posted and there will be much more to come for the trio!**

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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